Dennis Lee Buckley, August 17, 1941 – April 25, 2008
“Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm” – Ralph Waldo Emerson
Dad was enthusiastic about many things. The Raiders. Collecting pens and ball caps. Bowling. But more than anything else, he was enthusiastic about his family. And when you look at us, you can see the closeness we share, the strong bond we’ve built, and you can see that greatness was achieved.
I always looked up to Dad. I wanted to be like him. He was in the Air Force, so as a child I wanted to be a jet pilot. Later on, when he took up woodworking as a hobby, I wanted to learn as much as I could about that as well. He always wanted the best for us and gave us everything that he had.
Thank you Dad for being kind, gentle and understanding.
Thank you for being silly and having a sense of humor.
Thank you for teaching me to be a gentleman
Thank you Dad, for encouraging me to do well in school and get a college education.
Thank you for showing me that family and love are the most important things in life.
Thank you Dad, for giving me the blueprints for what a good father is.
I’m proud of Dad. Proud of his life’s service to our country and his life’s devotion to our family. I’ve strived to follow his example in order to make him proud of me in return and I know that I have.
Dad will always be with me in the things he taught me, the memories I have of him, and the life lessons that I will now pass on.
“Only a life lived for others is a life worthwhile” – Albert Einstein