Buckley, Charles Arthur

Charles Arthur Buckley, 86, of Iowa City, died Tuesday, July 3, 2012, in the Mercy Hospice Care Unit following a recent stroke. Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. Sunday, July 8, at Gay & Ciha Funeral and Cremation Service, where a time of visitation will be one hour before services and also following the services. Graveside services, with military honors, will take place at 9 a.m. Monday at Oakland Cemetery in Iowa City.

Born Jan. 16, 1926, in Glens Falls, N.Y., and raised in Woodstown, N.J., he joined the Army Air Corps at 18 years old and became a tail gunner on a B-24 bomber with the 392nd BG of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, stationed in England. Charles was discharged in September 1945 after 30 bombing missions and two parachute episodes (the first being over France on his 19th birthday). He rejoined the Air Force in 1958 and traveled extensively until his military retirement in 1977. He then worked for A.B. Dick Products Co. of Cedar Rapids until his civilian retirement. He married Barbara Kent Greenleaf (and family) on Feb. 25, 1979, becoming husband, father, grandfather, and later great-grandpa Sonny.

A loyal patron of Prairie Lights, Charles was an avid reader, pipe collector, electronic enthusiast, traveler, and lover of art, history, music, photography, and time spent with family and friends.

He was a member of the University of Iowa Presidents Club, Quarterback Club, and Eighth Air Force Historical Society. Recently, he proudly participated in the Honor Flight to Washington, D.C., for World War II veterans.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Barbara; his siblings, Fred Buckley Jr., Nancy O'Brien and Jane Graham; and brother-in-law, John Graham.

Charles is survived by his stepchildren, Mary Greenleaf and John and Karen Greenleaf; his grandchildren, Chaney (Andy) Yeast, A.J. (Emily) Carr, Jenny Spinler and Kyle (Whitney Gilleard) Greenleaf; and his great-grandchildren, Nick and Elly Yeast, Gracie and Abby Carr, Benjamin Spinler and Lana, Jocelyn and Beckham Greenleaf. He was also proud to be called “Uncle Sonny” by Anne, Ellen, Lauren and Amy O'Brien, Sandy (Denny) Armington, Susan (Jim) Porter, and Bill (Lorie) Graham and their children.

Memorial donations may be sent in his memory to Iowa City Hospice or the State Historical Society of Iowa, “Special Collections,” Iowa City, Iowa.

Published July 5, 2012 in The Gazette