John Snowden Wilson Buxton, 86, passed away on October 18, 2018. The son of the late Julian Thomas and Lucy Wilson Buxton of Sumter, SC, he is survived by his wife of 51 years, Caroline Floyd Buxton of Union, SC.
A native of Sumter, SC, he was a 1951 graduate of Woodberry Forest School in Woodberry Forest, Virginia where he was on the wrestling, football, and baseball teams.
He was a graduate of Davidson College in 1955, where he was captain of the wrestling team for two years and a member of Kappa Sigma fraternity and the football team.
He was also Army ROTC at Davidson and was commissioned as a second lieutenant upon graduation.
He then transferred into the United States Marine Corps, where he spent time in Japan during reconstruction. While in the Marines, he was a Pathfinder in 1st Marine Second Force Recon.
After an honorable discharge at the rank of Captain, he spent 45 years in the furniture industry, twenty of which were at Williams Furniture in Sumter as vice president of sales.
A lifelong Episcopalian, he grew up at Holy Comforter in Sumter where he served for years as a lay reader and the director of the acolytes. He was also a member of Christ Church Mount Pleasant in Mount Pleasant.
In addition to his wife, he is survived by his sister, Elizabeth Buxton Dietz and her husband, Burt, of Raleigh, NC.
He is also survived by his five children: Caroline Buxton Avinger and Maudlin of Greenville, John Snowden Wilson Buxton, Jr., and Kristie of Mount Pleasant, Heathley Buxton Cassels and Warren of Greenville, Robert Edward Thomas Buxton of Charleston, Sara Lilian Preot Buxton of Raleigh, NC, Angela Caldwell Buxton of Mount Pleasant, and Lindy Leigh Pryer of Raleigh, NC.
And by his beloved grandchildren: Louise (Lucy) Buxton Cassels, Caroline Olivia Avinger, Robert Warren Cassels, Jr., Virginia Corzine Buxton, Robert Edward Thomas Buxton (Thomas), Jr., Mary Mauldin Avinger, Lillian Elizabeth Buxton (Lilly), and John Snowden Wilson Buxton, III (Wilson).
He is predeceased by his brothers: Julian Thomas Buxton, Jr., and George Edward Preot Buxton. Pallbearers are Julian Thomas Buxton III, Mills Blake Buxton, Burton Henry Dietz, Jr., Robert Lee Floyd III, Samuel Steven Floyd, Jr., John Edward Buxton, and Kenneth Elijah Branham II.
Honorary Pallbearers are William Wallace Buxton, George Edward Preot Buxton, Jr., James Taylor Hughey Buxton, George Ingram Preot Buxton, as well as Major Isaac G. Dixon,III, USMC (ret); Paul H. Simmons, USAF Master Sergeant (ret); George F Von Kolnitz, IV, USAF Reserves (ret); and Edmond W. Frampton, US Navy(ret).
Services will be held Friday, October 26th, at 11am at Christ Church, Mount Pleasant. The family will receive friends and family after the service at Hobcaw Yacht Club, 180 Hobcaw Drive, Mount Pleasant. Interment will follow at a later date at Beaufort National Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made to the USC-Union Fund ( www.sc.edu/giving), the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society-Lowcountry (941 Houston Northcutt Blvd., Suite 203, Mt. Pleasant, SC 29414), and the Wounded Warrior Project ( www.woundedwarriorsproject.org).
Holcombe Funeral Home ( www.holcombefuneralhomes.com). Visit our guestbook at www.legacy.com/obituaries/ charleston
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