William Francis Buckley

Bill Buckley died Saturday, January 31st at Fieldstone Memory Care. Bill was born to Edward and Bessie Buckley (Jewett) on March 30, 1921 in Tulsa, OK. His Dad died when Bill was seven.

He arrived in the Yakima Valley with his mother and grandparents on May 4, l935. By May 9th he had his first job in the fruit industry thinning apricots and returned for apple thinning as a water boy. He graduated from Yakima High School in 1937 where he played violin in the school orchestra and was a member of the National Honor Society.

Bill attended Whitman Business College. He worked as a janitor at the college to pay for his tuition. After completing Business College in 1938 he was employed by Perham Fruit Company as a bookkeeper. He returned to have lunch with his friends attending the business college and met Lorain Spencer.

Bill enlisted in the Army Air Corp in March, 1942. Lorain traveled by train in July to Tampa, FL. They were married on July 18, 1942 and shared life together for 72 years. On December 16, 1944, Bill was commissioned a second lieutenant. He earned navigator winds and served on a B-29 crew. He was with the 9th Bomb Group on Tinian in the Marianna Islands. His crew saw the mushroom cloud of the bomb dropped on Hiroshima. Their plane was the last B 29 shot down in the war. Bill bailed out and was rescued by a Navy LST.

When Bill returned from the war, he returned to Perham Fruit Company. He was offered a sales position at Pacific Fruit and Produce in 1953. He later became Company President and was a well-respected member of the Fruit Industry.

Bill and Lorain were faithful members of St. Paul’s Cathedral Church. He was President of the Catholic War Veterans, Diocesan Council of Catholic Men, Serra Club and St. Paul’s Parent’s Club. He served as a Lector and Eucharistic Minister and coached CYO baseball and basketball.

Bill and Lorain were members of the Gate Swingers Square Dancing Club. They enjoyed golfing with friends and were world travelers. Bill wrote his autobiography entitled Only Good Things Happen To Me The Life of William F. Buckley March 30, 1921 to January 31, 2002 But not yet to Eternity.

Bill is survived by his wife Lorain, his children Mary and Dennis Patrick, Joseph and Melissa Buckley and John and Kathryn Buckley, his grandchildren David and Kristie Patrick, Aaron Patrick and Tammy Moore, Anne-Marie and Andrew Holloway, Jennifer and Scott Peddersen, Joleen Buckley, Edward Buckley, Christopher and Abigail Buckley and Susan and Jerry Turner and great grandchildren Laurel and Ann Buckley and Molly Turner.

A Memorial Mass will be celebrated on Saturday, February 14, 2015 at 10:00 a.m. in St. Paul Cathedral Church. Concluding services and inurnment will follow at Calvary Calvary Cemetery.

The family would like to thank Fieldstone Memory Care for their special care of Bill. In lieu of flowers donations may be made to Catholic Charities or Heartlinks Hospice.