Obituary of Charles Arthur Buckley

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 2:00 p.m. Sunday, July 8, 2012, at Gay & Ciha Funeral and Cremation Service, where a time of visitation will be one hour prior to the services and following the services. Graveside services with Military Honors will take place at 9:00 a.m. Monday at Oakland Cemetery in Iowa City. Memorial donations may be sent in his memory to Iowa City Hospice or the State Historical Society of Iowa, "Special Collections", Iowa City, Iowa. Born January 16, 1926 in Glens Falls, New York, raised in Woodstown, New Jersey, he joined the Army Air Corp 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 2 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 Company of Cedar Rapids until his civilian retirement. He married Barbara Kent Greenleaf (and family) on February 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 President's Club, the Quarterback Club, and the 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, Jane Graham, and brother in law, John Graham. Charles is survived by his step-children, Mary Greenleaf and John and Karen Greenleaf; his grandchildren, Chaney (Andy) Yeast, A.J. (Emily) Carr, Jenny Spinler, 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, and Sandy (Denny) Armington, Susan (Jim) Porter, and Bill (Lorie) Graham and their children.