Walter P. Buckley Obituary (1924 - 2018)

Walter P. Buckley, 94, of Eureka and Bloomington, passed away on Thursday, December 27, 2018, at Luther Oaks in Bloomington. His funeral will be at 11:00 a.m., Monday, December 31, 2018, at Epiphany Catholic Church, Normal, with Rev. Joseph Baker officiating. Burial will be in Holy Cross Cemetery, Normal. Visitation will be from 10:00-11:00 a.m., Monday at the church. Memorials may be directed to Epiphany Church or the Alzheimer's Association. Walt was born December 25, 1924, in Kewanee, the son of Leo and Veronica Matheis Buckley. He married Mary Brandt on April 26, 1952 in Fort Madison, IA. She survives. He is also survived by four children, Richard (Cathy) Buckley of St. Louis, MO, Sharon (Jake Maring) Buckley of Algoma, WI, Linda Buckley of Chicago and Allan (Laura) Buckley of Normal; three grandchildren, Dan Buckley (Ashley Atchison), Lisa (John) Marty and Ben Buckley; two great-grandchildren, Evan and Jake; and many nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by a brother and two sisters. Walter was a child of the Depression, walking to his one room school in Sheffield six miles in the snow uphill both ways. He graduated from Sheffield High School. A proud veteran of the U.S. Navy, Walt served in WWII in the Pacific aboard LST 923. He tells of his service in the award-winning documentary, "A Sailor's Story." https://bit.ly/2ENQL22 Walt retired from Caterpillar in 1982 after nearly 30 years. In retirement, he and Mary enjoyed many years of RV travel throughout the United States. He also was a longtime volunteer at OSF St. Joseph Hospital. A lifelong Chicago Cubs fan, he was thrilled by their 2016 World Series Championship. He could fix anything, and did.