Page 21 - Coffee County

an athlete, Huck played football, baseball, and basketball during his formative years. At Douglas High School, he played for head coach Van Davis, a man who would infuence Huck for the remainder of his life. Huck attracted the attention of Florida State University, which offered him a football scholarship. Life, however, took another turn. He married shortly after he graduated from high school. Huck was 17 years old, and his chance to play at FSU ended when he said, “I do.” His athletic career was not over; he attended South Georgia College in 1953, where he played football for Johnny Griffth.

Three games into his freshman football season at SGC; he received an offer from Mr. Stubblefeld to manage his service station. Needing money to support his family, Huck hung up his cleats and went to work. He worked for Mr. Stubblefeld for a few years until another opportunity arose – this one back at South Georgia College. Huck received an offer to run the campus student center, a job he readily accepted. It was a good job, one that Huck enjoyed. He

Walter Huckaby is one of the most unassuming, humble person you could ever meet. At 75 years old, he is neither tall nor imposing. He doesn’t make a grand entrance into a room, preferring to slip in quietly and not make a spectacle of himself -- though, in the right situation, he might make a spectacle out of you, all done in the spirit of love and friendship, of course. Huck smiles big and laughs often. When you are with him, it is easy to forget that you are in the presence of one of Coffee County’s greatest citizens. Don’t bother patting Huck on the back – he isn’t interested in accolades and he would rather not talk about himself. Try as he might not to be the center of attention, few people have made more of an impact on this community than Walter Cecil Huckaby. Huck was born in Hapeville on August 31, 1935. He moved to Douglas two years later after his parents, Mary and Cecil, divorced. During World War II, Mary went to work at a shipyard in Charleston, South Carolina, and Huck’s grandparents raised him in her absence. Huck remained in Douglas, where he attended school. Always