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In memory of

Carl "Bud" Pearson

Palmetto, FL

October 25, 1921 - November 16, 2017

Oct 25, 1921 - Nov 16, 2017

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Carl “Bud” Pearson, 96, passed away on November 16, 2017 in Bradenton, Florida.

Bud was born in Ladoga, Indiana on October 25, 1921, to Clarence and Ruby Pearson. He served in the United States Army during World War II, and married Virginia Thompson in Lafayette, Indiana, in 1946. He was transferred to Graham Air Force base in Marianna, Florida, in the early 1950s, where Bud was chosen to build a golf course from scratch, igniting a passion for golf that would last the rest of his life. After the war, he spent the next 36 years as the superintendent of various golf courses throughout the state, during which time he was elected the president of the National Golf Course Superintendents Association.

Bud was a selfless servant of God, always willing to put the well-being of others before his own. He was an avid reader, reading over 500 books in the past few years and studying the Bible on a daily basis. Bud was a member of Emmanuel United Methodist Church, where he used his previous experience to enhance and maintain the grounds of the campus. He retired in 1987 to take care of his wife Virginia, who had developed rheumatoid arthritis. She passed away on July 3, 1992. After leaving Emmanuel, Bud joined the congregation at First Baptist of Palmetto and met Helen Miller, whom he married in the summer of 2000. Helen passed away of cancer the following year. Bud remained a faithful member at First Baptist until his passing.

Bud developed a love of covered bridges and drove all over the country documenting them. He even joined the National Covered Bridge Society. Later in life, this hobby led to the creation of scale models of covered bridges, which he made by hand from scratch. Bud was also passionate about the changing of the leaves, and loved traveling north see them. He had a particular affinity for campfires, and he was happiest during the fall and winter months, surrounded by family as he told stories and tended the fire.

Bud is survived by his two sons, Michael and Richard, their respective wives Reba and April, grandchildren Cheryl, Brent, Benjamin, and Rebecca, and great-grandchildren, Tyler, Cody, Jacob, and Scotty. The family gathered on November 19, 2017, to celebrate Bud’s life.

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