Lewis "Buddy" Alderman Jr., who died Monday, also co-owned Alderman & Gay Appliances in Tarpon Springs for 25 years.
By CANDACE RONDEAUX
Published March 17, 2004
TARPON SPRINGS - Lewis "Buddy" Alderman Jr., a lifelong Tarpon Springs resident who fought tirelessly for the restoration of the city's bayous, died Monday after a long illness. He was 84.
Mr. Alderman had been living at the Stratford Court nursing home in Palm Harbor since January, a few months after he was diagnosed with transverse myelitis, an inflammation of the spinal cord or bone marrow that can cause paralysis. Although Mr. Alderman lost the use of his legs in the final months of his life, friends and family say he remained as resilient as ever.
"He took it a lot better than I would have," said his son, Robert Alderman. "He was very upbeat considering that a year ago he was climbing trees with a chain saw in his hand."
For 30 years, Mr. Alderman lobbied for the stabilization of the shoreline around Whitcomb and Kreamer bayous.
Years of erosion along the bayous caused trees along the shore to sink and topple over. Mr. Alderman, whose family gave its name to Alderman Road, wrote countless letters to local, state and federal officials asking them to help repair the bayous' seawalls and restore the shorelines.
"That was his passion," his son said. "He hated to see the erosion around the bayous."
But saving the city's bayous was not Mr. Alderman's only calling. Along with his longtime business partner, Foster Gay, Mr. Alderman owned and operated Alderman & Gay Appliances in Tarpon Springs for nearly 25 years. The two men also owned a second store in New Port Richey.
Formerly chairman and a board member of the Pinellas Industry Council, Mr. Alderman was a member of the Tarpon Springs Rotary Club. His 42 years of perfect attendance at the club was legendary, fellow club member and Tarpon Springs lawyer Herb Elliot said.
"He was very funny, always joking," Elliot said. "He will be missed."
Mr. Alderman will certainly be missed at the card table. For years, Mr. Alderman played poker regularly with a group of local men, friends and family said.
"He had one of the greatest card-playing gangs in the history of Tarpon Springs," former Mayor Anita Protos said. "He was a true pillar of the community."
A World War II veteran, Mr. Alderman graduated from Tarpon Springs High School in 1938 and married his high school sweetheart. He was married to Winifred Alderman, 82, for 62 years.
He received a Purple Heart after he was wounded while fighting alongside the French in the Battle of the Bulge. He was later given a French award for his role in the battle, his son said.
Grandson of James Alderman, one of Tarpon Springs' most prominent early citizens, Mr. Alderman grew up in a family whose name was well-known around town.
James Alderman's sawmill along the Anclote River near what is now N Pinellas Avenue was one of many properties owned by the Alderman family in the area.
A citrus grove owned by the family east of U.S. 19 was the impetus for a nearby street to be dubbed Alderman Road, according to family members.
A public viewing will be held today from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Vinson Funeral Home at 456 E Tarpon Ave., Tarpon Springs. A funeral service will be held at 2 p.m. Thursday at First United Methodist Church, 501 E Tarpon Ave.
A grandfather and great-grandfather, Mr. Alderman is survived by his wife, son and daughter, Carol Allison of Simpsonville, S.C.
