S. S. “Buck” Anderson, Jr., 91, of Fitzgerald, Georgia, died Saturday, July 25, 2026, at Dorminy Medical Center, in Fitzgerald, Georgia.
Funeral services will be held 10 AM, Thursday, July 30, 2026, at Central Wesleyan Church in Fitzgerald, Georgia, with the Rev. Mike Tullis, the Rev. Don Thompson, Jr., the Rev. B.J. Funk, the Rev. Dr. Buddy Cooper and Dr. Jesse Smith officiating. Interment will follow in the Evergreen Cemetery. The family will receive friends Wednesday evening, from 6 PM until 8 PM, in the chapel of the Paulk Funeral Home.
Mr. Anderson – affectionately known to all who knew him as “Mr. Buck” – was born May 6, 1935 in Laurel, Mississippi to the late Sidney Smith & Dorothy Frances Baucum Anderson. He grew up in Jones County, Mississippi where he attended Moselle school and Petal High School, where he earned a football scholarship to Jones Junior College in Ellisville. He was immensely proud to have been a member of the undefeated 1955 Bobcats who earned an invitation to the Junior Rose Bowl, in Pasadena, California, an historic game where their opponent was the racially integrated Compton College Tartans.
After two years at Jones, he earned another football scholarship to Northeast Louisiana State College (now the University of Louisiana-Monroe) and served as photographer for the Chacahoula yearbook.
He met his wife, Libby McCoy, at Northeast and the nearby Methodist church. After graduating from Northeast with a Bachelor’s degree, Mr. Anderson began his career as a salesman for McMillian Feed Mills in Memphis, Tennessee. Nine months later, he accepted an offer from Dallas-based Taylor Publishing Company, and spent the next 20 years working with students and advisors designing and producing yearbooks all across his south Louisiana sales territory. He developed a long-lasting love for the yearbook publishing industry, and amassed Taylor’s single largest sales portfolio in company history.
In 1979, he and his wife along with their three children relocated to Fitzgerald, Georgia, as he took over his late uncle Bennie Anderson’s businesses. Mr. Buck served as general manager for several companies including Fitzgerald Motor Company, Dixie Peanut Company, and Farmers Seed and Feed Company. He also served on the board of directors of First State Bank.
He became actively involved in Central Methodist Church, the Chamber of Commerce, Ben Hill-Irwin Tech and Fitzgerald High School. A very active group of individuals formed the “Fitzgerald First” organization with the goal of bringing companies to Fitzgerald and therefore creating jobs. He served as their first president. Under his leadership, six industries located in Fitzgerald creating approximately 600 jobs.
Mr. Anderson has also served his community well and was the key organizer behind the formation of Community Banking Company, serving as the first chairman of the board and later as Chairman Emeritus.
He quickly saw what a dynamic impact organized fund-raising could have on citizens and their community, and was instrumental in capital fundraising and in growing Foundations for Wiregrass Georgia Technical College, Jones Junior College, and the University of Louisiana-Monroe. Mr. Anderson had a dorm named after him at Jones Junior College, “Anderson Hall”, an Alumni Foundation Building at the University of Louisiana, Monroe, and the auditorium in Dorminy-Mixon Hall on the WGTC’s Ben Hill-Irwin Campus.
Signifying his dedication to upholding the history of Fitzgerald, he received an award from the Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation for the development of the plaza parks in 1996. He was also honored as Citizen of the Year by the Fitzgerald-Ben Hill Chamber of Commerce in 1993.
Mr. Anderson was a dedicated member of the former Central United Methodist Church, serving his church as a Trustee, Finance Committee Chairman and was a lifetime appointee to the Long-Term Investments Committee. He was a member of The Grove Bible Church.
He is survived by his wife of 66 years, Libby McCoy Anderson of Fitzgerald; children: Art Anderson & Sallie of Fitzgerald, Debbie Anderson of Fitzgerald, and Sid Anderson of Alexandria, Virginia; grandchildren: Holly Walden & Stephen of Madison, Florida, Ryan Smith & Danielle of Valdosta, Andrew Smith & Dalton of Valdosta and Tanner Smith of Valdosta; several great-grandchildren; special friends: JoAnn Tucker and Dewey Tucker and Bryson Dugger. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by a brother, William D. Anderson; a sister: Dorothy Culpepper; and Lynn Driver, a devoted member of his work family.
The family suggests those desiring to send memorials may send them to the WGTC Foundation North, c/o Mona MacKenzie, 667 Perry House Road, Fitzgerald, Georgia, 31750, to the Jones College Foundation, 900 S Court St, Ellisville, MS 39437 or to the ULM Foundation, 700 University Avenue, Monroe, LA 71209 (checks payable to ULM Foundation).
Paulk Funeral Home, Fitzgerald, is in charge of arrangements.