Avon Obituary: Richard Buckley, Jr., 89

Richard Cotter Buckley, Jr. (Dick), 89, passed away peacefully on Saturday November 18, 2017 in Avon, with his wife Janet by his side.

Dick was born on October 11, 1928 in Boston, MA to Dr. Richard Cotter Buckley and Eileen Casey Buckley. Dick grew up in West Hartford attending Kingswood-Oxford School and Trinity College before joining the armed forces and being deployed to Korea. Upon returning from Korea, Dick graduated from Babson College.

After graduation Dick returned home to West Hartford where he met his wife, raised their family and had a long and distinguished career as a civic and business leader. He founded Buckley Realtors in 1960 and continued as its President for almost 40 years until the early 1990’s when the company was acquired by Prudential CT Realty. After the acquisition, he continued to sell commercial real estate well into his seventies.

Dick served as President of the Exchange Club, President of the Greater Hartford Board of Realtors, President of the Multiple Listing Service (MLS) of Greater Hartford, and was a Realtor Emeritus. Dick also was a Corporator and Patient Advocate for many years at St. Francis Hospital.

He held many volunteer positions at Kingswood-Oxford School as an Alumnus and parent and was a member of the Old Guard of West Hartford. For the past several years he has been a Communicant and Eucharistic Minister at St. Ann’s Church in Avon. Dick was an avid golfer and loved skiing with his children at his home in Stratton VT.

Above all else, Dick loved his wife of 58 years Janet Porter Buckley and his children, Mary Susan Muirhead (Rust) of Wilton, Richard Buckley, who predeceased him, Marc Buckley (Shawna) of Chestertown, MD, and Kathleen Buckley of Avon. “Pop” also leaves behind 7 grandchildren: Caroline, Julia and Sam Muirhead, Aidan, Cotter, Jack and Colin Buckley. Dick also leaves his sisters Eileen (Mickey) Newell of Norristown, PA, Susan Buckley of West Hartford, and Diane Warfel of Portsmouth, NH. He also leaves behind many loving nieces and nephews. Dick was predeceased by his brother and sister-in-law Thomas and Marcia Sherer and his brother-in-law James Newell.

We would like to thank the staff at Avon Health Center for their compassionate care and Dr. Jack Cardone for his extraordinary care and expertise over the past twenty plus years.

A Mass celebrating Dick’s life will be held on Saturday November 25, 2017 at 11:00 am at St. Ann’s Church, 289 Arch Rd, Avon. The burial will be private.

Gifts in Dick’s memory may be made to The Alzheimers Foundation (www.alzfdn.org) and to Kingswood-Oxford School (www.kingswoodoxford.org) in his son, Richard’s memory.