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LeRoy Russel (Roy)
Buckman, US Army Retired, age 69, died after a year long battle with
cancer on 29 May 2005. He is survived by his wife, Barbara, to whom he had
been married 38 years.
Roy was born to Dorothy and Louis Buckman of Middletown, Connecticut on 8
April 1936. Upon graduation from Woodrow Wilson High School in 1954, Roy
entered Norwich University in Vermont as a military cadet, and he
participated in the Army Aviation Program as well as earning his BA degree
and graduating as distinguished military graduate and 2nd Lt. in 1958.
In 1959, he became a helicopter pilot as well as instructor. As an Army
aviator, he spent much time at Ft Lewis, WA, then Korea as a Captain. He
then switched to the fast growing field of Communications Electronics and
Data Processing, attending the many field courses in Automated Data
Processing. He served in STRATCOM in Washington in 1964-66 an then served
in the 1st Signal Brigade in Vietnam from 1966-67 and again in
70-71. He spent tours in Washington and Ft. Huachuca, AZ as a Major, then
at Camp Derby in Italy as a OIC of the Autondin, Switching Centre (Marconi’s
original site) at Coltano, Pisa.
Roy attended the Army Command and General Staff College at Ft. Leavenworth
followed by a tour of duty at Ft. Monmouth, NJ, in the field of
Communications, then he became commander of the Signal Battalion there. He
acquired a Masters Degree in Business Administration from Monmouth
University, taking a year off to complete.
As a LTC, he was then assigned to the Army General Staff in the Pentagon
for 3 years; his most demanding but personally rewarding assignment.
>From there he was assigned to Brussels at NATO Headquarters, Evere, where
he joined the US Military Representative’s Staff, later became a Colonel,
and switched to NACISA, a NATO International organization. After 3 years,
Col. Buckman was assigned to Germany, Patch Barracks at HQUSEUCOM where he
spent his last assignment after 30 years on active duty retiring to take
up residence with Barbara at their home in Cheshire, England in the summer
and Marco Island as snowbirds for the winter. Roy became an avid golfer
and enjoyed a golf membership in the lovely environment of Northern
Cheshire.
After being snowbirds for 10 years, Roy and Barbara built their retirement
home overlooking the 16th fairway of the Marco Island County Club where
they have lived for 6 lovely years.
As well as golf, Roy was an enthusiastic tennis player for years both in
the UK and Florida, but later concentrated totally on golf, enjoying a
long association as a member first of Boyne South and then the Classics at
Lely, and until retirement was an avid skier during the Northern European
winters.
A memorial service date will be announced after cremation. The service
will be held at the Fuller Funeral Home on US 41. Colonel Buckman’s
remains will be in turned at Arlington National Cemetery with full
military honors at 11:00 AM, August 18, 2005.
In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations be sent to Hospice of
Naples, 1095 Whippoorwill Lane, Naples, Fl 34105-3847. |
