Robert Buckley Jr.

Published 6:11 pm Thursday, July 12, 2012

Robert Buckley Jr. was born the third child to Robert Buckley Sr. and Velma Jackson Buckley on Oct. 6, 1939 and departed this life Thursday, July 5, 2012.

Robert Buckley Sr. was the second son of Riley and Lizzie Buckley. Riley Buckley was born in approximately 1847 and was 18 years old at the time of the Emancipation Proclamation in 1865.

If there was a word to describe Robert Jr., it was affable. He was kind, gentle, easy to talk to and welcoming to everyone. He was educated at Central Memorial High School in Bogalusa and was a member of the Class of 1959. He was the Buckley family historian and made everyone aware of the history of the Buckley family in Osyka and Prentiss, Miss. At an early age he came to know the Lord and was a member of the First Church of God In Christ under Bishop Howard Quillen Sr.

During his high school years he served as driver of the “ole” Central High School Spartan bus and worked at the YMCA. In 1961 he joined the U.S. Air Force and was assigned to several bases including Thule, Greenland and Lincoln, Neb., where he began his love of over-the-road trucking. He held several jobs after the completion of his tour with the Air Force. These jobs included the Chicago Department of Corrections and the Illinois Department of Transportation as a heavy equipment operator, but the open road called again and he took to the highways.

As a young man and throughout his life, he was an avid domino player, where he earned the name of “Lubop.” His skills and expertise reached far and wide. He was never too tired nor would he allow anything to interfere with his joy of the game. He was known as a sports encyclopedia and avid Green Bay packers and Boston Celtics fan.

Robert was the father of three children, Keith Delaney, Kashan Delaney and Leticia Franklin, all of Chicago, Ill., and three stepchildren, Karen Delaney, Kesha Delaney and Kwan Delaney, and had 17 grandchildren, five great-grandchildren, eight step-grandchildren and seven step-great-grandchildren.

He leaves to mourn his passing two brothers, Elbert (Laura) Buckley Sr. of Bogalusa and Freddie Buckley of Chicago; three sisters, Audrey Faye Price, Beverly (Hubert) Anderson of Chicago and Laura (Andrew) Spurling of San Diego, Calif.; a special friend and companion, Wilkie Bell of Bogalusa; a host of nieces, nephews and cousins; and his extended family, his dominoes buddies and a play (adopted) son, Raymond “Pork Chop” Davenport.

Robert was preceded in death by his oldest sister, Helen Haynes, who passed away June 28, 2012, and his mother and father.

The funeral service will be held Saturday, July 14 at First Church of God In Christ, 612 East 5th St., Bogalusa, at 2 p.m., with Bishop Howard Quillen Jr. officiating. Viewing is scheduled for Friday at Cook-Richmond Funeral Home from 2 p.m. until 6 p.m., with a family hour from 6 p.m. until 8 p.m.