Loyalist College Celebrates Jim Buck

Loyalist College is celebrating the 36-year career of retiring Athletics Director Jim Buck who is set to be inducted into the Hall of Fame of the Ontario Colleges Athletic Association (OCAA)  on May 1st. 

A surprise retirement celebration was held during the Lancers basketball team’s final home games in honour of Buck. 

Dozens of friends, family, colleagues came out Saturday, Feb. 11 to celebrate Buck’s long career at Loyalist. The atmosphere was buzzing with excitement while friends and family gathered near the college entrance to surprise the athletics director. 

His face brimming with delight as he wandered through the entrance, Buck’s jaw dropped when he noticed the guests eagerly awaiting his arrival. As he greeted everyone at the entrance, he was shocked to discover his oldest daughter Lindsey Shillington, her husband, and daughter had travelled all the way from Alberta to celebrate the special occasion. 

Buck attended Durham College as a student, played on their basketball, soccer and badminton teams and was named the college’s male athlete of the year in 1983-84. He later became the head coach of Durham’s women’s basketball program and led them to the OCAA championships. 

In 1987, Buck moved to Belleville to become assistant athletic director at Loyalist College which, according to Durham College, later led to him becoming one of the top athletic administrators in the country. Buck has dedicated over three decades to Loyalist, working to build a successful athletic program. From hiring top-notch coaches to upgrading the athletics facilities, his efforts have had a significant impact on the school and its athletes. 

“What stands out most about “JB” is his selfless and genuine dedication and care for the people around him, whether staff, students or alumni,” said Athletics Success Mentor Dave Templar.  “Jim is an incredibly warm and kind individual with an amazing sense of humour who is always gracious with his time in conversations with others.  As a mentor, JB knows what to say and when to say it to motivate his staff to deliver their best work.”

“Jim is wonderful. He is the best boss and mentor you could possibly ask for. He has taught me so much about college athletics, the OCAA,  life in general and loyalist college.” said Athletics Co-ordinator Amy Hoskins who has worked with Buck for 13 years. “He has a wonderful sense of humor. He loves a good practical joke. There's been a lot of them in our department over the years. He has some of the all-time best ones for sure.”

“Jim has had an incredible impact on Loyalist College athletics and on many athletes' lives individually,” said Loyalist soccer player and game day staff Emily Postma. “Jim is always welcoming, kind, positive, encouraging, and has been such a great role model to everyone he comes in contact with.”

The retirement event was held at the gym, during the final basketball games of the season, where Buck had the opportunity to reconnect with old friends and colleagues while watching the games. 

During the games on Feb. 11, both the women’s and men’s teams were off to a great start and came out strong with two big wins. The women’s team pulled off a 79-67 win and the men’s dominated with a 72-52 win against the Seneca Stings. The energy in the crowd was electric and Buck watched from the sidelines with pride as his son, Bobby Buck and his teammates sped up and down the court working hard to secure the win.

As the games came to an end, the guests moved downstairs to Loyalist’s Shark Tank Pub to carry on the festivities. The night began with a few speeches. They spoke about Jim's dedication, hard work, and passion for sports. Hoskins read a letter from Buck’s good friend Laurie Cahill from Mohawk College who was unable to attend that night: 

“Throughout Ontario, the words Loyalist Lancers and Jim Buck are synonymous with integrity, sportsmanship and pursuit of excellence. Jim’s life work tells college administrators everywhere that the passion, ability and dedication to work can be successful in serving our students is right here within our halls yesterday, today and tomorrow.”

Buck, in turn, gave a speech thanking everyone for their kind words and support throughout his career. "What Loyalist has done for me is given me a home and given me some incredible friendships and I’ve worked with some of the most amazing people,” he said.  

The retirement party was a testament to the lasting impact that one person can have on a community. The college, its athletes and colleagues say they will never forget the legacy of the retiring athletics director and the contributions he made to their athletic program.