'He
Just Amazed Me'
Where
to begin with Greg Buck? Perhaps with wood.
He
was an accomplished woodworker. For a number of years, he had
a custom cabinetry and furniture business with his father, and
they restored a couple of homes, including the Victorian that
his parents live in in Staten Island.
He
was also a classical pianist, and he played the organ at the weddings
of friends. He went part of the way through cooking school and
was quite proficient at the stove. He completed nursing school
(where he met his wife, Catherine Morrison-Buck) and was thus
a registered nurse, though he never practiced.
Finally,
he was a firefighter with Engine Company 201 in Brooklyn.
"He
was the most talented guy I've ever seen in my life," his
wife said. "He just amazed me."
He
was quiet about his multiple talents. It took awhile before his
colleagues at the firehouse learned of his cooking skills and
showed him to the kitchen. They began calling him the Silent Chef.
Firefighter
Buck, 37, kept a woodworking shop in an old hotel he restored
on Staten Island. He and his wife had planned to start a business
selling antiques he restored and the new furniture he made. They
were also in the process of buying a home on Staten Island. Mrs.
Morrison-Buck closed on it a few weeks ago. Firefighter Buck was
going to restore it. "Now it's my job," she said.
Profile published in THE NEW YORK TIMES on December 6, 2001.
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