Arthur Willis (Bud) Bauknight, 82, died on March 26, 2009 at the Baldomero-Lopez Veterans Nursing Home in Land-O-Lakes, Florida.
He was born on January 17, 1927 in Jacksonville Florida, the son of Carlton and Margaret Willis Bauknight, and was a 4th generation Floridian. He grew up in and around Jacksonville and enjoyed sailing on the St. John’s River as a child and teenager. After high school, he joined the Navy and was stationed in British Samoa. When he came back, he enrolled in Florida State University, receiving a Bachelor of Arts degree. During this time he was married and had his first child. He then transferred to the University of Florida’s Law School, but raising a family took precedence and his family moved back to Jacksonville where he took a job with Carolina Casualty Insurance Company as a home office legal examiner. Soon he was hired by Allstate Insurance Company and was transferred to St. Petersburg, Florida with his now 4 children. Allstate transferred him to Pensacola, then Miami where he was in charge of the largest claims office in the Southeast United States. Divorced in 1970, Bud did something unheard of at the time…he took custody of his 12 and 13 year old children and moved back to St. Petersburg, rejecting an offer for advancement and transfer to Chicago. It is here that he met his soul mate, Lila, and was remarried in 1972. Bud decided to leave Allstate Insurance Company and started an independent Insurance agency called Bauknight Insurance. Bud found a willing customer base that enjoyed his knowledge of contracts and his desire to help solve problems. He also at this time rediscovered his love of sailing and purchased a boat. With his children all grown and gone, he sold his agency and in 1979, and moved to Weeki Wachee, Florida to ’retire’ with his wife Lila and his sailboat. He opened an insurance office in Hudson, Florida to keep busy and soon found that he was swamped with customers. In 1993, he joined the Masons and quickly rose thru the chairs. Soon Bud retired, sold his agency to his son, and lived out his days in his home on the Weeki Wachee River, happy with his wife and his cats. Unfortunately, he suffered from dementia and lived the past two years at the Baldomero-Lopez Veteran’s Nursing Home. His wife and family visited him often and all appreciate the care, love, and support that the staff at Baldomero-Lopez gave them that enabled Bud to live out his final years in dignity.
Bud was extremely proud of his children and all of them, along with his wife and grandchild, Emma, were with him when he died. Bud was a Navy veteran, held a BA in business administration, was a Grand Worshipful Master of the Masons and beloved husband, father, and grandfather. He left a loving wife, Lila Bauknight, and 7 children; Diane Bauknight, Kathy Wayer, Freya Fuller, Greg Bauknight, Shirley Gephart, Mark Simpson, and Collin Simpson. He was a loving grandfather to Justin, Melissa and Emma Bauknight; Brad, Dennis and Tiffany Fuller; Kimberly Wayer; Bram, Cara and Angelea Luknight; Jeremy Lutz and Crystal Gephart; and two great grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his grandson, Ryan Wayer, and three loving sisters, Margaret, Aileen, and Carleen. Bud Bauknight’s legacy lives on through his many loving survivors. Funeral services will be held on April 24th at Bay Pines National Cemetery at 1:30 pm, followed by a reception at his son’s house, Greg Bauknight. Call (352) 200-9051 for details.
Lila and family,
My prayers and thoughts are with you. I know Bud will be greatly missed. Lila I wish I could be there to give you a big hug. I will always remember Bud with loving thoughts. He was great teacher and man of wisdom. I will never forget the many things he taught me. He was like a second dad to me. The world has lost a great man.
My love to you all
I am so sorry I did not get to visit with him since his birthday
I know he is at rest now and looking down on all his loved ones.He was always an Angel to me and he has joined the rest of them at peace..
What a wonderful memorial for a man who was so extraordinary in many ways!
Special Thanks to the Baldemero Nursing Home in Land O Lakes for the excellent care given to Dad every day of his residence there.
A very special thank you to Lila, for loving Dad thru the good and the bad times..for Freya for visiting him often and helping me make hard decisions, for Berlidys and Emma for giving him so much love in his final years, for the rest of the family for giving dad support and love, and for everyone at baldero-Lopez who did so many special things to help him live with Dignity and care thru a very horrible disorder…dementia. We couldn’t have done it without you and Bud’s high quality of life was because of your care Also to those posting here, thank you for caring about my father. Bud was a big personality and impacted many people. Please call me at 352 200-9051 and let me know if you are coming to the reception.
What a beautiful testimony to a beloved man!
I have heard many wonderful things about Bud and know he will be missed by all who knew him.
Our thoughts and prayers are with all of the family.
We never met your father, but as citizens we thank him for his service to his county and wish him God speed.
To all who loved him, I send my love to you, and my hope that only his shining moments will be remembered, revered, and relived in our minds and hearts.
He had a great mind and desired to share with us all of his good intentions.
He wanted nothing greater in life than to impart to his family the value of family relationships and the fact that he was proud of each one of us for our own unique qualities and gifts.
He reminded us often how our family relationships would only grow more precious year after year.
May we honor his wishes by keeping in touch with each other and passing this lovely value to our loved ones for all future generations.
My Dearest Love,
There are no words to describe how lonely and lost I feel without you. “I miss you…I love you.. It hurts”. They just aren’t adequate. You gave me so much: You took care of me and you taught me to take care of myself.
We had joy, we had pain but we always had love. There is one thing I will always remember and that is that I was loved. Only a few people are blessed with that special kind of love. The last words you said to me were “I love you”.
Goodbye is too final a word so I’ll just say “good night my love, rest well, and save me a place.
All my love,
Lila
I will miss him dearly I wish I could have been there, But i know that grandpa Bud knows I love him in every single way and he is watching over us all. I love you Grandpa.
I will miss him dearly I wish I could have been there, But i know that grandpa Bud knows I love him in every single way and he is watching over us all. I love you Grandpa.