Gregory Houston "Bud" Wooten Sr.'s Obituary
Gregory Houston “Bud” Wooten, eternally loving husband, father, grandfather, brother, and friend, passed away in Clearwater, FL on Sunday, April 30th, 2023.
Bud was a 3rd Generation Floridian born to Roscoe (“R.C.” or “Jim”) and Patsy Wooten in Clearwater, FL on November 8th, 1952. He graduated from Clearwater High School in 1970 before attending the electrical program at Pinellas Technical Institute and eventually earning his Electrical Journeyman Card. While at Clearwater High School Bud met the love of his life, Victoria, and shared over 50 wonderful years with his soul mate. Bud and Victoria married on June 15th, 1973. In early 1978, they welcomed their first child, Joellen, soon to be followed by the arrival of their second child, Gregory Jr., in 1979.
Outside of home life, Bud dedicated himself to his family business, Merit Electric Co., Inc., and Electrical Trade, as a whole. Bud, along with his father and two brothers, worked to build and keep Merit Electric as a leading commercial electrical contractor throughout the State of Florida. In his over 40 years at Merit his strong work ethics, commitment, and mutually respectful relationships with people resulted in both professional and personal rewards. He paved the way for future generations and was fortunate to have the opportunity to pass this legacy on to his children, Joellen and Greg, who he helped mentor as they joined family business.
Those who knew Bud well knew his passion for supporting the Open Shop Electrical Industry. He was an integral part of establishing the local chapter of the Independent Electrical Contractors (Florida West Coast Chapter) and carried on supporting the organizations mission at the National level for decades, eventually being recognized by receiving the IEC National Legacy Award for his selfless commitment. Bud never missed an opportunity to promote growth in the Electrical industry and found himself volunteering his time to support other Electrical apprenticeship programs, including SkillsUSA, where he also earned recognition from the SkillsUSA organization for his efforts.
Bud was born a nature-loving individual. From an early age he found himself drawn to the waters. Growing up fishing with his family gave way to a life in the Florida Keys and spending the days spearfishing, reef fishing, and deep-sea fishing with his friends and family. When he wasn’t in the water, he was taking pictures of Osprey nests or showing his kids and grandkids how to hold their mouths to make the fish bite. He had a deep respect and love of Natural Florida – spending the last several years enjoying that in Homosassa.
Ask a Wooten about car racing and grab a chair. From his father’s attendance in the early evolution of Daytona to the rowdy Rolex24 weekends, it’s no doubt that Bud was passionate about it. As an avid NASCAR fan, Bud traveled with his father, wife, and children - passing down to them the experience while making amazing memories sharing something he loved.
Life brought new adventures for Bud when he became a grandfather to Liam (Greg) in 2013. His first granddaughter, CeCe (Greg), wasn’t far behind in 2015. 2016 saw the arrival of Olive (Joellen) and then Wilder (Joellen) in 2020. He adored his grandchildren – and they loved their Pop Pop.
Bud is survived by his loving wife, Victoria; their children Joellen (Amy) and Greg (Theresa); five grandchildren, Liam, CeCe, Olive, Wilder, and Lukas; son-in-law Alan Edwards (Joshua, Jordan, Bianca, and Zac); his brother, Jamie (Julie); his sister Lori (Keith). Lastly, not to be forgotten, his beloved “Peter Rabbit,” Baxter.
He is preceded in death by his Mother (Patsy), Father (Roscoe), Grandmother (Annie), Great Aunt (Peg), Brother (Tim), and Daughter (Michelle).
Bud will be greatly missed. We are all thankful for his tremendous impact on our lives and hope that it carries on through all of the people he touched.
Please visit our Celebration of Life link for Service details and to RSVP.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1D5yxRfaTVCaKhz4ftcUdnF_ohR9Uwuog/view?usp=sharing
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