Harold Erwin BUCKLEY

1925 - 2019

BUCKLEY, Harold Erwin The Rev. Harold Erwin Buckley passed away peacefully on May 11, 2019 at the age of 94. Father Harold was born in Brooklyn, NY on March 31, 1925. He opened his eyes to a mother, Elizabeth and a father, Jeremiah, both immigrants from Co, Kerry, Ireland. Fr. Harold was the middle child in a family of five, his beloved sister Elizabeth and brothers Jeremiah, Eugene, and Robert. He became interested in the priesthood as a teenager, went to the prep seminary, cathedral college of the Immaculate Conception in 1942 and was ordained to the Catholic Priesthood in June of 1953. He was assigned to the parish of Holy Family in Hicksville, NY until 1959 when he was sent to teach at the St. Pius X Prep Seminary in Uniondale, NY. In 1970 he went to the college Seminary of the Immaculate Conception in Douglaston, NY where he taught English literature and drama until 1987 when he took a sabbatical to study sculpture at the National Academy School of Fine Arts in NYC. He has left many beautiful sculptures mostly in Long Island, NY and Florida areas. While at college, he directed at number of plays, Man of La Mancha, Jesus Christ Superstar, Andersonville and a number of others. Fr. Harold used his God given talents through his great loves of poetry, sculpture, and the theater but his first ministry was always to the people he served as a minister of God. Fr. Harold retired to Florida where he continued to serve God at the Cathedral of St. Ignatius Loyola in the Diocese of Palm Beach. Fr. Buckley is preceded in death by his mother and father; beloved sister, Elizabeth Lynch; brothers, Jeremiah and Robert Buckley. He is survived by his brother, Eugene and his wife, Anne and sister-in-law, Margaret Buckley. He is also survived by 20 nieces and nephews, and numerous grandnieces and grandnephews and many loving friends. There will be a Mass of Christian Burial held on Wednesday, May 22, 2019 at the Cathedral of St. Ignatius, Palm Beach Gardens, FL at 10:00AM. Burial will follow at our Lady Queen of Peace Cemetery. In lieu of flowers please consider a donation in Father's memory to The Cathedral of St. Ignatius Loyola, 9999 N. Military Trail, Palm Beach Gardens, FL 33410.