Obituary of Ralph Baz

WINTER HAVEN, FL: Funeral services for Ralph A. "Bubba" Baz, Jr., 83, will be held at 2:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 12, 2013, in the Chapel of Thompson Funeral Home of West Columbia. Interment will follow in Celestial Memorial Gardens with Full Military Honors. The family will receive friends from 4 until 6 p.m. Monday evening at the funeral home. In lieu of flowers memorials may be made to Wounded Warriors Project, 4899 Belfort Road, Suite 300, Jacksonville, FL 32256. Bubba passed away Thursday, March 7, 2013. Born in Georgetown, SC, he was a son of the late Ralph Abbes Baz, Sr., and Edith Idell Moyd Baz. Bubba was a decorated U.S. Army Veteran who retired after 26 years of service to his country. He also retired from The State of South Carolina Criminal Justice Academy as Food Service Director after 22 years of service. Bubba was a loving husband, father, grandfather, great grandfather and brother who cherished his family. He loved life and found humor in every situation. Survivors include his daughters, Tina Mason (Michael) of Cayce and Wanda Bryant (Pat) of Georgetown; son, Ralph A. "Duke" Baz, III (Edith) of Cayce; sisters, Edith Caufield and Raffia Elizabeth Baz Smith; brothers, Sharky Baz, Jamal Baz, Doug Baz, Frank Baz, Laverne Baz, Ricky Baz and Raymond Lambert; three grandchildren and two great grandchildren. Mr. Baz was preceded in death by his parents; his wife, Mary Ruth McLemore Baz; and brother, Turk Baz.