At the young age of 53, Buck died of cardiac arrest. Because his wife had been a Catholic in good standing but he had not been a religious man, his funeral was held in an unusual place — the gymnasium of St. Patrick’s Church.
Peoria
A digital companion to the biography Becoming Richard Pryor
In Memory: LeRoy Pryor, Jr.
Date: 10/2/1968
Citation:
"In Memory: LeRoy Pryor Jr," Peoria Journal Star, Oct. 2, 1968.
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1. “Bucky” in Decatur
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Got Affectionate with the Baby
–11/19/1916–Marie preferred to have her husband Roy in jail rather than near her baby
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Boy Slapped, Woman Routs Proprietor
–10/20/1929–When a black boy was slapped at a candy store, Richard's grandmother struck back
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Arrest Four Negroes in Wabash Sand House
–03/ 17/1931–At age 15, Marie's son LeRoy — later Richard's father — was arrested for disorderly conduct
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2. Buck and Gertrude in the Era of 300 N. Washington
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North Washington Street
–1938–The block, in the red-light district, where Pryor was raised
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Married: LeRoy Pryor and Gertrude Thomas
–12/28/1943–Three years after he was born, World War II spurred Richard's parents to marry
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LeRoy Pryor Receives Section 8 Discharge
–7/25/44–LeRoy Pryor was discharged without honor from the US Army at the height of mobilization for WWII
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The Pryor Family at the Famous Door
–c. 1945–The Pryor family diversified its operations, becoming proud owners of a tavern in the mid-40s
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Ellis Sergeant Slugged, Robbed
–2/13/1945–A black sergeant, flush with cash, was robbed on N. Washington Street — and Richard's father seems to have been the culprit
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LeRoy Pryor Indicted by Grand Jury
–3/1945–A Peoria grand jury indicted LeRoy Pryor for robbing a black soldier
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Gertrude Pryor v. LeRoy Pryor
–1/1946–The divorce papers of Richard Pryor's parents
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Buck and Gertrude Divorced
–3/27/1946–The marriage of Richard's parents entered its final phase — the back-and-forth motions of divorce court
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3. Buck and Ann in the Era of Aiken Alley
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Ann and Buck Drinking With Friends
–1950s–Richard's father and stepmother, on the town with some sharp-dressed friends
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Buck and Ann Pryor in Aiken Alley
–4/3/1951–Richard's father and stepmother relaxing on Aiken Alley
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Club LaVon Destroyed; Speed Points to Arson
–11/23/1959–The Club Lavon and Hotel Avion, once part of Peoria's vice circuit, were bombed and burned
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Prostitution Counts Name 5 Defendants
–9/10/1965–When police raided the brothel of Richard's father and stepmother, Buck ran and Ann stayed
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5 of 10 Vice Raid Counts Dismissed
–11/10/1965–Buck avoided jail time by evading police during a raid
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Vice Raid Nets Man, 56, Woman
–11/15/1967–Buck arrested for 3rd time in as many years for running a brothel
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Prostitution Case Fines Total $700
–3/5/1968–In the year before his death, Buck was still getting arrested in vice squad raids
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In Memory: LeRoy Pryor, Jr.
–10/2/1968–Buck died at the young age of 53
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