DEATH OF DR. JOSEPH BUCK. Wakefield Express, Friday 27 January, 1940.
Dr. Buck of Quarryfield House, Woodlesford, who was in public office and private practice as a medical man in the Leeds district for more than 40 years, died suddenly on Tuesday afternoon aged 75 years. He collapsed in Boar Lane, Leeds and taken to the Leeds General Infirmary, but died before arrival.
Dr. Buck was born at Whitby, the son of an ironmonger, and in 1879, when he was 16, he was apprenticed for five years to Dr Taylerson, surgeon and apothecary and Medical Officer of Health of Whitby.
After leaving Whitby he came to Leeds as assistant to Dr. Ben Heald, whose surgery was in East Street, and worked for 18 months in the district known to Leeds people as The Bank.
He attended Leeds Medical School and had 2 and a half years at Beckett Street, now St James’s Hospital. In 1888, after nine years of apprenticeship, and study and practice, Joseph Buck took his first qualifications – L.R.C.P. and L.R.C.S. of Edinburgh, and L.R.F.P.S. (Licentiate Royal Faculty of Physicians and Surgeons), and Licentiate (and prize medal) in Midwifery of Glasgow.
Returning to Leeds as locum tenens, he became Medical Officer of Health for Hunslet Rural District Council in 1892. He also went into private medical practice in Rothwell, at first in partnership with Dr Nowell, and built up a large practice over a wide area.
He graduated M.D. of Durham University in 1907, and took his diploma of Public Health three years later at the same university.
Dr. Buck retired from private practice and from his appointments to public institutions eight years ago. His connection with Poor Law work had started more than 50 years before, for he was party engaged in it while still an apprentice.
Nearly 40 years ago, Dr. Buck played cricket with the Rothwell teams. Later he became a member of Garforth Golf Club. He was a freemason for more than 30 years. He was also a keen soccer supporter. Dr. Buck has left a widow and two sons, the eldest son, George, being in Canada..