A baby boy was born the second son to Herbert and Thelma Meadows in Ocala, Florida.  They named him James, but his older brother Stuart couldn't say "brother" so he said Bubba, which then went to Bud.  The nick name stuck.  As a child, Bud was a prankster.   He especially enjoyed playing tricks on his little sister Ruth.  Later they would add yet another girl, Betty Jean to the family.  Herbert and Thelma raised their children to enjoy fishing, hunting, boats and water.  Herbert owned Meadows Garage where he taught his sons the ins and outs of being a top notch mechanic.  Stuart followed with that, but Bud had other ideas.  When Bud was young, he found ways to make extra money.  He raised Persian cats which gave him double enjoyment as he loved animals and enjoyed the earnings.  Being the son of Herbert, he learned all about cars and appreciated nice cars.

Bud was naturally smart and a handsome young man.  He had no problems with his studies which gave him time to pursue his other interests. Being the good looking personable guy he was, he had young ladies wanting to enjoy his company.  One evening when he was taking a young lady out for a drive in his car she asked to go and see her friend Betty who was working at a fruit stand.  After Bud met Betty he was quite smitten.  Now he had a new interest to pursue and he knew how to do it.  The best way to a young girl's heart is to make her mother like you.  While Betty was out with other friends or dates, Buddy was at her house, taking her parents goodies and enjoying long conversations with Estelle, Betty's mother.  Estelle was sure he was the right one for her daughter and was the one who talked Betty into seeing him.  That was the beginning of the biggest part of Buddy's life.

Bud graduated from Ocala High School and the next year married Betty when she was only 16 and he was 19.  He vowed to take care of her and that meant seeing that she graduated from school, too.  As a young married couple in love, times couldn't be better.  Then, in June of 1950, the Korean War began.  Bud was drafted and assigned to teach instruction.  Bud was discharged as a Corporal with the United States Army in 1953.  While Bud was in service he wrote many love letters to his wife.  She still has them to this day.

Bud and Betty were blessed with a son, David.  Two years later they had a beautiful little girl, Debbie.  Bud pursued his business of being a distributor for automobile parts.  That took him out of town a lot.  It was tough at times and the perfect love affair actually almost ended!  Bud and Betty decided to separate.  Bud got a fancy car and would pull up to pick up the kids while Betty acted like it was all fine.  Truth was they missed each other terribly.  Bud realized this and knew he would have to work extra hard to win his bride back.  It wasn't easy, but it worked and Bud and Betty's love was even stronger.  Their new reunion brought another addition into the family and that was their daughter, Sheri.

The family lived in Lake Conway Estates in a ranch house with a pool and friends that were neighbors.  They enjoyed entertaining, boating, and traveling when they could. Bud wanted to explore the surrounding areas and find property on a lake somewhere to build the family a home.  One day he came home and told Betty that he found the perfect place.  Clermont, he said had a beautiful chain of lakes.  He was excited to have her see it.  They moved into a rental with their three children and began making friends right away.  Clermont was a small and welcoming town.  Betty loved its charm and the people here.  Later the family moved into their newly built home.  His children later graduated from Clermont High School.

Bud and Betty enjoyed entertaining; boating, traveling, and their children loved being raised with the lake life.  In 1973 he had Sunnyside Plaza built on highway 50.  The original plan was to have an extensive health food and health eatery business there for Betty, but after a short trial she realized she was happier being a full time mom and devoted wife.  Bud moved into another phase of his life, going into business and investing so he was able to stay home more.  He wasn't a bold or outspoken part of the community but he was an important part and many people knew and respected him.

In 2010 Bud and Betty's son David passed away.  It was a tough time for all.

Bud did continue to enjoy life until Dementia took over.  His family cherished every lucid moment they got with him. Bud used to say that he had a little box and in that box were all the things most important to him.  The number one thing was his wife, Betty.  Making her happy and keeping her happy was what made him happy.  Though he was basically a homebody he enjoyed trips to Alaska, Mexico, Costa Rica, England, and Nassau.  He always said his train must run on time.  He lived his life on his own terms and he left this life on his own terms.  He positively impacted the lives of many.  He will be greatly missed.