More detail on this person: My dad, Tom
Buckley, aka Model-T, passed away in the early
morning on 4/11/11, 235 miles into his NOBO thru
hike. He died in his sleep in his tent at
Davenport Gap. He was 69 years young. This was
his first thru hike.
My dad loved to hike but the number one thing he
spoke of about his journey on the AT was the
camaraderie. I want to thank you all that had the
chance to share your kindness and stories with him
on the trail. Hiking AT was a lifelong dream of
his and I know he was having the time of his life.
His obituary is below.
Tom Buckley, 69, of Silver City, N.M. peacefully
passed away of natural causes on April 11th in the
Smoky Mountains National Park while pursuing his
lifelong dream of hiking the Appalachian Trail. By
his own assertion, Tom led a full and vibrant
life. He served in the US Army for 26 years,
including two tours of duty in Vietnam and one in
Korea. He was distinguished for heroic service as
a helicopter pilot with the Bronze Star and
Distinguished Flying Cross. He further served as
an Army Comptroller, earning a Master's Degree in
Business Administration and CPA while on active
duty. He retired as a Lt. Colonel and began a
second career as an owner of a multistate
distribution company in Houston, TX for 20 years.
When he retired to Silver City in 2006, he served
as a stalwart volunteer in the local community. A
quietly committed member of many community
organization boards, he brought experience and
energy to the Grant County Concert Series, the
AARP Tax-aide program, the Grant County Pilot
Association, the Senior Services Board, and the
Retired Seniors Volunteer Program (RSVP). Tom
was a true master dabbler, language aficionado,
and skilled handyman who was not afraid to jump
on the roof to install a solar water heating
system. As a life-long learner, he had widely
varied interests including classical and gospel
music, reading, flying, and dancing. He loved to
travel, especially adventuring off the beaten path
from Patagonia to the Arctic Circle, Europe to the
Pacific Rim. And he loved to hike. He so valued
the camaraderie and community on the trails,
especially his buddies with whom he bushwhacked
through the trails of Southern New Mexico and the
"families" he hiked with for 235 miles along the
Appalachian Trail.
Tom is survived by his loving wife, Mary Ann
Buckley of Silver City, mother Louise, brother
David and his wife Pat, daughters Susan, Ellie and
her partner Shelley, Kay and her husband Brian,
Bonnie and her husband Joe, stepchildren Susy
and Andy and his wife Shaira, and grandchildren
Justin, Emily, and Andie. Donations can be made in
his memory to the Grant County Community
Concert Association P.O. Box 2722, Silver City,
NM 88062 or the Continental Divide Alliance, 1200
Arapahoe Street, Golden CO, 80401.
This information was last updated 05/18/2016
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Date posted on this site: 04/13/2025
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