RICHARD F. BUCKLEY (1935-2023)

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V26 2023 INDEX E-SYLUM ARCHIVE

The E-Sylum: Volume 26, Number 28, July 9, 2023, Article 5

Dick Buckley was a collector and vest-pocket dealer that I got to know as a fellow member of clubs in the Pittsburgh area. His thick Boston accent was unmistakable. He'd come to Pittsburgh as an engineer at Westinghouse Corp. His interests included world coins and U.S. Colonials - he sold me several sets of Vlack photographic plates for my library at one point. Thanks to Ed Krivoniak for passing this along. -Editor

Richard F. "Dick" Buckley passed peacefully Saturday, June 10, 2023, with his family by his side. He was born Nov. 18, 1935, in Boston, Mass. He is survived by his wife, Wanda (Campbell) Buckley; and his children, Jayne Leather, Rachel (David) Buckley, Kristen Maureen Hanlin and Richard E. (Tracey) Buckley. He is also survived by 10 grandchildren, Ashley, Jessica, Danielle, Jennifer, Ian, Seth, Daniel Lee, Kathleen, Vivian and Connor. He also has six great-grandchildren, with one more expected to arrive later in 2023.

Dick was a 30-year employee of Bechtel and Westinghouse as a start-up manager for nuclear power plants. His work took him all over the world and he lived in Korea, Japan, Spain, Brazil and the Philippines, to name a few. He was a proud member of Mensa, where he served as historian well into his later years in life. He was a passionate coin collector.

Dick was an avid sports fan. Growing up in Boston, he loved the Red Sox, Bruins and Celtics. However, after moving to Pittsburgh in 1980, he became a Steelers season ticket holder, and his sports loyalty changed to all teams Pittsburgh. He continued to attend Steelers games well into his 80s and developed strong friendships with other fans in his section. He was also a big Penguins and Penn State football fan. A private family ceremony will be held at a later date.

Dick was indeed a passionate collector, and his passions fueled conflict on occasion. He'd dropped out of the local clubs by the time I moved from Pittsburgh in 2006. I lost touch and barely recognized him in this photo. But I remember him as a numismatic mentor alongside all my other old Pittsburgh collecting friends.

A collector of Washingtoniana, Dick suggested the adopted theme of the 1989 Pittsburgh ANA medal featuring George Washington as a young surveyor, one of the first white men to visit the forks of the Ohio.

Here's a portrait taken around 1991 as a member of the Western Pennsylvania Numismatic Society (digitized by the Newman Numismatic Portal). His Connecticut Coppers were sold by New England Rare Coins in July 1976, and his numismatic library was sold in the Money Tree 31st sale in 1999. -Editor

To read the complete article, see:
Richard F. Buckley (https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/name/richard-buckley-obituary?pid=204723829)