Dennis James Wasley Buckley

1942 to 2025

The Honorable Dennis James Buckley, longtime resident of Marysville, CA, passed away on October 2, 2025, at 82.

Dennis was born in Johannesburg, South Africa on November 2, 1942, to Dennis Buckley and Katherine Sinclair Buckley.

The family, consisting of six siblings, parents, and pet cat, Dinky, left South Africa in 1961, and lived in Rome and Milan, Italy, Beirut, Lebanon, and finally settled in the United States of America in 1964.

Once in the US, Dennis earned an undergraduate degree in business from Virgina Polytechnic Institute.

Then, in 1968, work brought him to Ohio where he met his future bride, Nancy Marie Sulick. They married on March 1, 1969.

Dennis soon after earned a J.D. from the John Marshall School of Law in Chicago in 1971.

In early 1974, while pregnant with their first daughter, Dennis and Nancy drove cross-country from Dixon, IL, relocating to Northern California to be closer to Dennis's parents.

Dennis remained in the area with Nancy, raising two daughters, Melissa and Melanie, in Yuba City, CA, and then, in Marysville, CA, where he quickly integrated into the legal and golfing communities.

Beginning in 1975, Dennis worked briefly as a deputy district attorney for the Yuba County District's Attorney's office.

After that, he spent 10 years as a public defender for the Yuba County Public Defender's Office.

In 1986, he was appointed to the bench and served the next 26 years as a judge for the Yuba County Superior Court in California, during which time, he developed a particular fondness for presiding over juvenile court and referred to the juveniles as "his kids."

Dennis retired from the bench on December 31, 2012, and to no one's surprise, immediately joined the Assigned Judges Program where he continued to work as a retired judge until October of 2025.

Dennis adored all animals and was known to rescue countless dogs and a few cats over his lifetime, always ensuring they found loving homes either with friends, colleagues, or in his own home.

He also loved to play golf and spent as much time as possible at Peach Tree Golf and Country Club.

He absolutely adored his wife, Nancy, who was honored to spend their last summer, often just the two of them, sitting by the pool, enjoying each other's company.

During this time, they also enjoyed frequent visits from family, home cooked meals from Dennis's childhood, and playing games with their daughters.

Nancy was by Dennis's side when he passed away in the early hours of October 2, 2025. We are grateful that his passing was peaceful and that he was with his favorite person and spouse of nearly 57 years.

Dennis is survived by his wife, Nancy Marie Sulick Buckley; daughters, Melissa Kay Buckley and Melanie Denise Buckley; siblings, May Buckley Yurgaitis, Thomas Buckley, Patrick Buckley, Patricia Buckley Prescott; many nieces and nephews, both here and abroad; and many cousins in South Africa who loved and will miss him dearly.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Dennis Buckley and Katherine Sinclair Buckley; and his oldest sibling, Katherine Buckley Wijnberg.

In celebration of the extraordinary life Dennis lived, his family are honored to invite the community to gather together at Peach Tree Golf and Country Club on Sunday, November 2, 2025, from the hours of 2 PM to 5 PM.

All are welcome to join us in love and admiration of the incredibly special person he was to each of us.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Yuba Sutter Arts & Culture, 624 E. Street, Marysville, CA 95901 to support the Main Stage Project at the Sutter Theater and also, of course, to your favorite local animal rescue organization, such as the one Dennis supported in Incline Village, NV, the Wylie Animal Rescue Foundation (WARF).