Obituary of Robert J. "Uncle Buck" Southard

Robert J. “Uncle Buck” Southard Robert J. “Uncle Buck” Southard, age 94, of Erie, passed away at the PA Soldiers and Sailors Home on Sunday, May 5, 2024. He was born in Lackawanna, NY, on December 14, 1929, the adoptive son of the late Harold and Gladys Whitford Southard. He grew up on their dairy farm and graduated from Harborcreek H.S. He then went on to serve in the U.S. Army, Third Infantry Division from 1949-1952 during the Korean War. He was then honorably discharged as a Sergeant Class 5-A. When he returned home, he started driving tractor-trailers for Hammermill Paper Co. for 27 years. He was awarded the Safety Award Million Mile Club, Accident-Free Miles. He then drove for 3 years for TNT Holland until his retirement in 1995. Bob was a member of St. Jude the Apostle Church, Western PA Teamsters, Local 538, American Legion Post #773, VFW Post #470 and the Korean War Veterans Memorial. Bob’s family was his greatest joy. He was a friend to everyone he met and would give the shirt off his back, and wore his heart on his sleeve, loved to fish, tinker in his garage, watch old Western Movies and TV shows, listening to country music, and enjoyed going to breakfast at All Aboard Dinor in Lake City on Saturdays with his buddies and was proud to be a veteran. Besides his parents, he was preceded in death by his loving wife of 55 years, Rosemary (Rastatter) Southard in 2016, brother-in-law Joseph Rastatter and his wife Mae, and sister-in-law Madeline Pesta. He is survived by his sons; Russell Southard and his wife Lori of Erie, PA, Randy Southard and his wife Elizabeth of Fort Benton, MT, four grandchildren; Emily and Isabelle of Erie, Wyatt of Eau Claire, WI, and Ben of Fort Benton, MT, sister-in-law Joyce Dahlkemper and her husband Jerry, brother-in-law David Rastatter and his wife Carol, and many nieces and nephews. Bob’s family would like to thank the staff, nurses, and aides of Unit D of the PA Soldiers and Sailors Home in Erie and the staff and nurses of AseraCare Hospice for all of their wonderful care and compassion they shared with Bob. Friends may call at the Dusckas-Martin Funeral Home and Crematory, Inc., 4216 Sterrettania Rd. on Friday, May 10, 2024 from 3 pm until 7 pm and are invited there on Saturday, May 11, 2024 for the Funeral Service at 10 am. Interment Calvary Cemetery. Memorial contributions may be made to the Korean War Memorial, 406 Hess Ave., Erie, PA 16507.