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It is with great regret and sorrow that I must notify you of the death of our Classmate,
Dick Buckner, on 22 July 2021 in Gainesville, VA.
Dick is
survived by his wife, Trish; their children, Elizabeth Buckner-Yordy and her
husband Chris; Rich, Jr.; and Ann Marie Stulik and her husband Ken; their
grandchildren, Stephen Buckner, Allison Williams and her husband Tyler, Amanda
McVicker and her husband Will, Victoria Nunn and her husband Josh, Morgan
Lassiter and her husband Bryan, Lauren Gizinski and her husband Adam, Alexander
Trahan, Tyler Trahan, and Nicole Buckner; their step grandchildren Clare and Eli
Yordy; and their great grandchildren, Benjamin, Ansel, Liam, Elise, Aiden,
Charlotte and one on the way.
Friends and
family will celebrate Dick's memory at their cherished home in Gainesville on
August 1 from 2 to 5 p.m.
Dick Buckner's
funeral will be at 1:30 PM, Wednesday, 27 October 2021, at the West Point
Cemetery. Those attending should meet NLT 1 PM at the Visitors Control Center
located in the West Point Visitors Center in Highland Falls.
A reception
will follow in Herbert Hall. Please respond by reply message if you will be
attending.
Condolences may
be sent to Trish at 13606 Heritage Valley Way, Gainesville, VA 20155-1356.
In lieu of
flowers, please celebrate your health and happiness by giving your kids and
grandkids a hug.
Well done, Dick. Be thou at peace.
Remembrances:
Class Memorial Pages\I-2 Dick Buckner.pdf
Unfortunately, I won't be able to attend Dick's Aug 1 celebration. From afar, I'm celebrating Dick's life by some pleasant memories reflected
below.
I, like virtually all our classmates and other classes, knew Dick well for his
sturdy gridiron accomplishments. And we knew that Dick didn't know us. He was
one of our class stalwarts, one of our pretty famous gladiators, but who could
never get to know most of his cheering fans. Dick and our other great stalwarts
were battling the PE majors and university weight rooms of enormous football
universities while not one on the opposing teams was so enjoying the great
challenges of diff equations, thermo, solids, fluids and the great mysteries of
EE/Black Magic. We all appreciated and respected the imbalanced nature of our
tough football games with the almost bully-boy likes of Penn State, Alabama,
Notre Dame, Pitt, Nebraska, on and on. Our football men, like Dick, never
flinched, were examples of physical bravery, of up close and personal courage,
endurance and toughness right before our eyes. We are blessed to know them.
Our lunches gave me the opportunity to meet and talk with Dick the few times I
came. We talked the same accent, though he improved his better than I did. We
never saw each other in the Army. But now decades later at Ft Myer, Dick was
immediately a friend in our shared brotherhood, always warm, kind, interested in
your thoughts and experience. I am blessed that our Class of '61 lunches let me
finally really meet Dick, a method a few hundred or more of our classmates would
love to have enjoyed.
Marty Walsh
Obituaries:
 Richard
Alan Buckner, “Buck” of Gainesville, Virginia passed away on July 22, 2021 at
the age of 81. He is survived by his wife of 60 years, Patricia (Trish), his
daughter Elizabeth Buckner-Yordy (Chris), son, Rich Jr., and daughter Ann Marie
Stulik (Ken), grandchildren Stephen, Allison, Amanda, Tori, Morgan, Lauren,
Alexander, Tyler, Nicole, Clare and Eli and 6 great grandchildren and another on
the way. He is also survived by his younger brother LTC (ret) Roy Charles
Buckner, of St. Augustine, Florida.
Buck was born on 2 November 1939
to Lawrence and Elizabeth Buckner of the Bronx in New York City. Buck’s father
passed away at a young age and he and his brothers, Bob and Roy, were raised by
their mother. All three brothers graduated from the United States Military
Academy in West Point, New York. While at West Point, Buck played
intercollegiate football and lacrosse. After the 1961 lacrosse season, he was
selected as a first team All-American defenseman.
Upon graduating in 1961, Buck
married Trish, his high school sweetheart, and commenced thirty years of service
in the United States Army. His service included 2 tours in Vietnam and ended
with Buck being the military attaché in Budapest, Hungary and then Prague,
Czechoslovakia before the fall of the Iron Curtain. Buck retired as a full
Colonel and worked for the Aerospace Corporation in Virginia until his
retirement in 2005. Buck was a natural leader and was known as a man of
principle and a true American patriot. He was a role model and trusted friend
who was widely respected.
In his retirement years, Buck
and Trish continued their world travels and tried to keep up with their growing
family. Up until a couple years ago Buck played handball at the Pentagon twice
a week. Eventually the effects of intercollegiate sports, jumping out of
airplanes and a very physically active life took its toll on his body and he had
to very reluctantly “retire” from his handball career.
Finally, his proudest legacy,
his biggest pride and joy, "PopPop" left behind eleven wonderful grandchildren.
Each grandchild had a unique relationship with him and he had a wonderful way of
knowing everything that was going on in their lives and having conversations
with each of them. No detail was too small. He celebrated their accomplishments
and interests. He was compassionate when it came to their struggles and
disappointments. Buck’s grandchildren knew they were loved beyond measure and
will surely miss their PopPop.
A celebration of life gathering
will be held on 1 August 2021 from 2 - 5pm in Gainesville, VA. Interment will be
at West Point in a private service at a later date.
In lieu of flowers, please
celebrate your health and happiness by giving your kids and grandkids a hug.
 Richard Alan Buckner (Colonel, U.S.
Army – retired), born in the Bronx, New York City on 2 November 1939, died 22
July 2021. Dick graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point
in 1961. On 10 June 1961 he married Patricia (Trish) O’Sullivan his high school
sweetheart. He and Trish had been married for 60 years. As a cadet at West
Point, Dick played intercollegiate football and lacrosse. After the 1961
lacrosse season, he was selected as an All-American defenseman. After graduation
he was commissioned in the Artillery and earned his jump wings and Ranger Tab at
Ft Benning, GA. After attending the Artillery Officers Basic Course at Fort
Sill, Oklahoma he reported to his first duty station with an Air Defense
Artillery unit in Newhall, California protecting the City of Los Angeles from
possible enemy air attack. In September 1963 he accepted an overseas assignment
with the 173rd Airborne Brigade stationed on Okinawa. On 5 May 1965 he deployed
with the Brigade to Vietnam. Upon completion of his first tour in Vietnam (5 May
1965- 18 April 1966) he returned to Fort Sill for the Artillery Officers Career
Course. Following Ft. Sill and in preparation for his next assignment as an
instructor in the Office of Physical Education at the United States Military
Academy, Dick attended graduate school at the University of Wisconsin in
Madison. In June 1968 he received a Master of Science Degree in Physical
Education. From June 1968 through June 1971, he served as an instructor in the
Office of Physical Education (OPE), West Point, NY. During his second tour in
Vietnam (29 July 1971 – 26 April 1972) Dick was the Executive Officer of the 6th
Battalion 27th Field Artillery, an 8 inch -175mm Howitzer battalion located at
Phu Loi. When his unit was redeployed to the United States, he was reassigned to
the Redeployment & Special Projects Branch, Plans Division, at Hq US Army, Long
Binh, Vietnam. This tour in Vietnam was followed by attendance at the Command
and General Staff College at Ft. Leavenworth, Kansas. In July 1973 Dick changed
career fields and started the Army’s Russian language program at the Defense
Intelligence Agency (DIA) at the Presidio of Monterey, CA. This was followed by
a 2-year stint at the US Army Russian Institute in Germany. In the summer of
1976, he was appointed to a staff officer position in the Regional Operations
Division, Current Operations Branch, Deputy Chief of Staff Operations (DCSOPS),
at the Pentagon. For the next three years he was assigned to the Soviet
Production Division, Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) at Arlington Hall Station
in Arlington, VA. From 1981-1983 Colonel Buckner was the Army Attaché at the
U.S. Embassy in Budapest Hungary. After completion of his attaché assignment, he
returned to DIA as Vice Assistant Deputy Director for Research, Directorate for
Foreign Intelligence (6 months) Arlington Hall Station. From July 1985 through
March 1986 Colonel Buckner was the Chief/Executive Officer, Office of the Deputy
Director for Foreign Intelligence, DIA located at Bolling Air Force Base. In
April 1986 he attended the DLI (East Coast) Rosslyn, VA for Czech language
instruction in preparation for a three-year tour (July 1987 – August 1990) as
the Army Attaché, U.S. Embassy in Prague, Czechoslovakia. Dick’s final
assignment in the Army (14 August 1990 – 1 July 1991) was as a member of the
Officer Special Review Board. Finally, on 1 July 1991, Colonel Buckner retired
from the Army, he was employed by Aerospace Corporation and provided support to
the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO). After 13 years employed by Aerospace
Corporation supporting the NRO, Dick finally retired-retired in the summer of
2005.
Colonel Buckner
is survived by his wife of 60 years Patricia (Trish), his three children,
Elizabeth, Rich Jr, Ann Marie, nine grandchildren and two step-grandchildren,
Stephen Thomas, Allison Elizabeth, Amanda Leigh, Victoria Marie, Morgan
Elizabeth, Lauren Elizabeth, Alexander Ryan, Tyler Garrett, Nicole Elizabeth,
Clare and Eli Yordy, and his 6 great-grandchildren.
Written by Buck himself
Assembly/Taps Memorial Article:
 Richard A. Buckner 1961
Cullum No. 23523-1961 | July
22, 2021 | Died in Gainesville,
VA
Interment: West Point Cemetery, West
Point, NY
Richard Alan “Buck” Buckner (U.S. Army, Retired) was born on
November 2, 1939 in the Bronx, NY and passed away on July 22, 2021.
A standout football player at Mount
Saint Michael High School in the Bronx, Buck received numerous football
scholarship offers but chose to follow in his older brother’s footsteps by
attending the United States Military Academy at West Point. His older
brother, Bob, graduated with the Class of 1957, and his younger brother,
Roy, graduated with the Class of 1964. Mrs. Buckner couldn’t have been
prouder of her sons, and she kept them, and their companymates, very happy
with the delivery of her weekly baked goods. In addition to playing
football, Buck demonstrated his athleticism and versatility when he was
recruited to play lacrosse—despite having never played the sport before.
Remarkably, he earned All-American honors as a defenseman in his senior
year.
After graduation, Buck married his high
school sweetheart, Trish, at the Catholic Chapel at West Point. Their
journey as a military family began at Fort Benning, GA, where Buck earned
his jump wings and Ranger Tab. Following the Artillery Officers Basic Course
at Fort Sill, OK, he was assigned to an air defense artillery unit in
Newhall, CA. During this time, their first child, Elizabeth Marie, was born.
When she was just three months old, Buck accepted an overseas assignment
with the 173rd Airborne Brigade in Okinawa, where their second child,
Richard Alan, was born. Nine months later, Buck deployed to Vietnam for his
first tour (May 5, 1965 - April 18, 1966).
Upon returning, Buck attended the
Artillery Officer Career Course at Fort Sill and later earned a Master of
Science in physical education from the University of Wisconsin. He then
returned to West Point as an instructor in the Office of Physical Education,
where he taught cadets a variety of sports, including boxing and scuba
diving, and served as the officer in charge of the Lacrosse Team. During
this time, he and Trish welcomed their third child, Ann Marie.
After completing his second tour in
Vietnam, Buck attended the Command and General Staff College at Fort
Leavenworth, KS. In 1973, he began a new career path starting with the
Army’s Russian language program at the Defense Intelligence Agency in
Monterey, CA. He then spent two years at the U.S. Army Russian Institute in
Germany, where he distinguished himself as class leader. Fluent in Russian
and additionally proficient in Hungarian and Czechoslovakian, Buck’s
linguistic expertise led to prestigious assignments as the Army attaché at
the U.S. embassies in Budapest, Hungary and later in Prague, Czechoslovakia,
where he played a key role in diplomatic and intelligence operations.
Buck had the unique privilege of
witnessing the Velvet Revolution in Czechoslovakia in 1989, marking the end
of Soviet dictatorship. He and Trish frequently accompanied Ambassador
Shirley Temple Black and president Václav Havel during celebrations of the
newly established Czech Republic.
On July 1, 1991, Buck retired from the
Army after an illustrious career, receiving numerous decorations, including
two Bronze Star Medals, the Army Commendation Medal, the Defense Meritorious
Service Medal, the Defense Superior Service Medal, and the Legion of Merit.
Following his military retirement, Buck
began a second career at Aerospace Corporation, providing support to the
National Reconnaissance Office. After 13 years of dedicated service, he
fully retired in the summer of 2005.
In retirement, Buck and Trish settled in
Heritage Hunt, Gainesville, VA, where he remained deeply involved with the
West Point community. He was instrumental in organizing numerous Founders
Day celebrations and served as treasurer for the Class of 1961. A lifelong
advocate for physical fitness, he played handball at the Pentagon twice a
week until the age of 78. He and Trish also continued their love of travel
while keeping close ties with their ever-growing family.
Buck’s greatest pride and joy was his
role as “PopPop” to 11 beloved grandchildren. He cherished his unique
relationship with each of them, always staying engaged in their lives,
celebrating their accomplishments, and offering unwavering support during
their struggles. His grandchildren knew they were loved beyond measure.
Buck is survived by his devoted wife of
60 years, Patricia (Trish); his three children: Elizabeth, Rich Jr., and Ann
Marie; nine grandchildren and two step-grandchildren: Stephen Thomas,
Allison Elizabeth, Amanda Leigh, Victoria Marie, Morgan Elizabeth, Lauren
Elizabeth, Alexander Ryan, Tyler Garrett, Nicole Elizabeth, Clare, and Eli
Yordy; as well as nine great-grandchildren.
A West Point classmate once wrote of
Buck: “He was a soldier, husband, and friend who invariably did the right
thing. He had an amazing grace, a sharp sense of what was right and fair, a
deep love of family and country, and quietly, yet modestly, led others to be
their better selves.”
Buck will be deeply missed by all who
knew and loved him.
—
Elizabeth Yordy, Daughter; Patricia Buckner, Wife
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