Where does a basketball star turned conference winning coach turned sports commentator and an extraordinary fundraiser retire in the fourth quarter of life?

If you are Bucky Waters, you retired in the Triangle with “My first and best recruit, my wife Dottie” he says. “Our team has produced three wonderful children and 12 incredible grandchildren. That’s better than any ACC championship or lucrative TV contract.”

And Bucky Waters has had it all beginning with a scholarship to play basketball at NC State under Hall of Fame coach Everett Case in 1954, the same year the ACC was formed. “I certainly wasn’t a super star but I did see some action. My most memorable game was against Villanova at the Palestra in Philly when I hit 4 shots at the top of the key which made a big difference in the game. I was back home and playing in front of the old neighborhood. I’ll never forget that night.”

He started his college coaching career as freshman coach at Duke under the legendary Vic Bubas. He was 29 years old when he was lured away by West Virginia to become their head basketball coach. During his four years leading the Mountaineers, he won two of three from national power Duke, one when the Blue Devils were undefeated and ranked #1 in February. He was also a perfect one and 0 versus the North Carolina Tar Heels. Following four successful years, he returned to the Triangle to head up Duke’s basketball program, continuing his winning streak.

In his 18 years as college player and coach, Waters participated in five conference championships, five NCAA tournaments, three national invitational tournaments and two Final Fours. He was one of only six ACC players to become an ACC head coach.

Waters then became a professional sports commentator covering ACC games, then other sports venues such as the Olympics. He has worked for NBC, Madison Square Garden, ESPN, USA and Jefferson-Raycom.

As he started his TV career, Duke University Medical Center tapped him to join its Development Department to help develop fundraising for the University, the perfect professional combination for his career. He retired as Vice Chancellor of the Medical Center. He received an honorary MD from the Alumni Association in recognition of his multiple contributions to the University. Waters says, “My 35 years with Duke have been the most fulfilling years of our career.”

As a native of the Garden State (New Jersey), the Triangle is now his home but sometimes is referred to as a “Half Back”. Waters reports, “In the 30’s and 40’s most retirees in the northeast began retiring in Florida. They quickly found out about the grueling weather in Florida and the long drives back home. As the I-95 corridor opened, these same people began discovering the Carolinas as a very attractive alternative to Florida for retirement. The weather is better, and when driving back to your old home, you are half way back, hence the nick name Half Backs.”

He has stern advice for anyone approaching retirement age. “When you enter the fourth quarter of life, you need to get yourself on a waiting list at a retirement community. You can always postpone the date you choose to move but getting on that list is essential.”

He also points out that you can’t wait too long to enter. “You need to be in good health to enter a Continuing Care Retirement Center. Many people wait until a serious health issue shocks you into a lifestyle change. This can be too late, shifting your burden back to your family.”

Waters continues to play sports in retirement. “I was a runner and a tennis player, but I’m afraid my hips don’t let me play as much as I used to. I do enjoy a nice walk around the Croasdaile campus in the evening; we are fortunate to have a large population of deer who enjoy snacking on our grass around the lake.”

“I play a bit of golf and always enjoy the three ACC courses: Duke/Washington Duke Inn, UNC/Finley, NC State/Lonnie Poole. Treyburn is special and I love to get an invitation to play at Old Chatham. But the real delight to a golfer is that the Triangle is loaded with great public courses.”

Bucky and Dottie chose to retire at Croasdaile Village. “We just love Croasdaile; initially we liked the casual ambience and open campus. But we came to enjoy the carefree lifestyle, fantastic people and wonderful food. Dottie is very active in the community and feels you can become as involved as you choose; the doors are open and the staff is friendly. We also find the activity calendar overflowing with accessible and quality events.”

Water’s career brought him to the Triangle. When asked why he stayed here for retirement, he says, “I have one son and his family living here which is quite an incentive, but we have it all here! I cannot imagine a better place to retire than the Triangle. The Duke and UNC medical complexes and up-to-date facilities like WakeMed bring our community world-class medical attention. Notable people from around the world come here for the expertise our doctors and facilities offer. We can just go down the street for the same treatment. This is huge.”

He adds, “Our local colleges are truly gems. They are constantly hosting experts and speakers on any number of subjects. They have wonderful opportunities with continuing education. They expose us to the arts and make available art galleries and concerts. I can’t say enough about our colleges and universities.”

“Our location is smack in the middle of a great sand box. We have easy access to the coast, mountains, our nation’s capital and even the NY area. Our international airport makes it easy to travel to wherever you need to go. Our weather is wonderful. We enjoy four distinct seasons with a long spring, a long fall and a short winter.”

When asked about how he spends free time: “Family is my focus but I also make an effort to give back to the community which has been kind to me.” He is on the board of the V Foundation, which raises monies for cancer research, on the Development Board of the Durham Rescue Mission, co-chair of the Durham Rescue Mission Capital Campaign, and on the Development Board of AGAPE CORNER which supports inner city children.

Bucky still keeps an office in his son’s business, The Benefit Planning Group in Durham.