Buddy practiced internal medicine in Jasper for 35 years and earned a reputation as a topflight diagnostician and an attentive and caring healer. Besides his family, Buddy's greatest love was coaching youngsters. Having been a state backstroke champion in his youth, his coaching career started with the Jasper Swim Team. More recently, he has been a fixture at local baseball diamonds, hardcourts, and soccer fields coaching various Jasper Park and Recreation or First Baptist Church teams.
Buddy was a lifelong member of Jasper's First Baptist Church and was devout in his faith. An avid golfer for many years, more recently Buddy became an accomplished cyclist. During the past 10 years, he relished the thousands of miles he shared with his cycling friends on the back roads of Walker County. Buddy was an avid Alabama football fan, and his willingness to resort to any kind of ritual or good luck charm to help the Crimson Tide was well known to his many friends.
Buddy was predeceased by his father, Charles Dudley Cross.
He is survived by his mother, Francis Aycock Cross; his brother, William Thomas Cross (Kitty); his wife, Gina Thomas Cross; his daughters, Raleigh Cross Dunham (Mark), Susan Kirby Cross, and Callie Jordan Cross; and his son Charles Dudley Cross, III.
Services will be held at Jasper's First Baptist Church, on Monday, December 17 at 2 p.m. Dr. Dennis Culbreth and Dr. Mike Adams will officate. Visitation will be from Noon until 2 p.m. at the church.
The family requests that memorial gifts be made to Jasper's First Baptist Church or to a charity of the donor's choice.