Lebanon, N.H. — William Alan “Bill” Buck, 87, died peacefully at the Alice Peck Day Hospital on July 22, 2016, following a long battle with Alzheimer’s disease. Bill was born in Morristown, N.J. on Sept. 22, 1928, to the late Olga Mae (Corbin) Buck and Robert Reed Buck.

The son of a naval family, Bill moved from one military base to another during his childhood including a stay with his grandparents in St. Albans, Vt. during World War II. He left school to join the Navy in 1946 and served aboard the light cruiser USS Houston as a radioman during a post-war friendship tour of Europe and the Mediterranean.

Following his honorable discharge, Bill attended Vermont Technical College and then the University of Vermont. On Sept. 25, 1954, he married the former Phyllis Van Wagenen. Bill held a number of jobs including positions with the Grange League Federation (GLF), Sears Roebuck, and Hartford Motors. He also had many outdoor recreation interests in including canoeing, camping, and skiing, and was an instructor with both the Ford K. Sayre and Vermont Adaptive Ski and Sports programs.

Bill loved flight and flying machines. His life-long passion of aircraft design gave him many enjoyable years of constructing scale-model airplanes and gliders with great detail and precision. He was a member of the Upper Valley Model Airplane Club where he was recognized as an honorary life member for his commitment to make the club the successful organization that it is today.

Above all, Bill was a clever craftsman with an innate understanding of tools. He used that interest to build his own successful tool sharpening business which he ran until his retirement.

Besides Phyllis, his devoted wife of 61 years, Bill is survived by his children John, and his wife Catherine Buck of Waterbury Center, Vt.; Katherine, and her husband, John Morton of Thetford, Vt.; and William, and his wife, Deborah Buck of Petaluma, Calif. He is also survived by his eight grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren; his sister, Olga ‘Toogie’, and her husband, Ron LaBranche of Parrish, Fla.; and several nieces and nephews. Bill was predeceased by his and Phyllis’ infant son Alan; his brothers, George and David Buck; his sisters, Jean Marvin and Nancy Richards; and by his son-in-law, Alleyne C. Howell III.

A celebration of life for Bill will be held in the Garden Room of the Harvest Hill retirement community (Lebanon, N.H.) on Sunday, July 31 at 2 p.m.

In lieu of flowers, gifts in Bill’s memory may be made to the National Alzheimer’s Association (Alz.org) or to PROJECT VETCARE, 35 Main St., Hanover, N.H. 03755.