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: 08/31/2024
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