Frederick E. Buck, retail pioneer, dead at 83
By Curtis Lum
Advertiser Staff Writer
Frederick E. Buck, who owned a chain of clothing stores in Hawai'i and was considered a retail pioneer in Waikiki, died Saturday in Honolulu. He was 83.
Advertiser library photo
Buck was born in San Francisco on May 31, 1919, and moved to Hawai'i in 1948 when he was recruited as a men's wear buyer for the McInerny Co. Buck later left the retail business and joined wholesaler Alfred E. Shaheen Co.
During the Vietnam War, Frederick E. Buck coined the term "R&R Discount" that appeared in advertising booklets throughout Waikiki.
But in 1955, Buck and his first wife, Nancy, launched their retail business when they opened Lana'i Sportswear on Lewers Street in Waikiki.
Over the years, Lana'i Sportswear expanded to more than 20 locations in Hawai'i and California, and was the first tenant in the International Market Place in Waikiki.
Radio personality Michael Buck, one of Frederick Buck's two sons, said his father was successful because he was an "out-of-the-box" thinker who always had the customer in mind.
"He knew from the very beginning that everybody who spent their last hard-earned dime to get over here needed to be treated properly," Michael Buck said. "He thought that the hotels should be teaching the aloha spirit and we went out of our way in our stores to do that."
During the Vietnam War, the elder Buck joined other retailers and provided discounts to soldiers who were on rest and recreation here. He coined the term "R&R Discount" that appeared in advertising booklets throughout Waikiki.
In addition to the clothing stores, the Buck family ran a primitive art shop and opened the state's first color copying store. The Bucks also developed residential property, including beachfront homes on Maui.
Frederick Buck was a member of the Waikiki Rotary and Outrigger Canoe Club. After retiring in 1983 and moving to San Francisco, he returned to Hawai'i in 2001.
Buck is survived by his wife, Filomena; sons, Michael and Mark; daughters, Maureen Kilcoyne and Maile Ostrem; seven grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.
Services will be at 8 a.m. Thursday at the Outrigger Canoe Club.
