Edward Buckley

"Compassion is our fight"

Edward Daniel Buckley III passed away peacefully in his home in Decatur, GA on the morning of March 19, 2025, surrounded by his loving family, after a valiant battle with cancer. He was 68. Ed was born on May 8, 1956 in Atlanta, GA to Ferdinand and Marianne Buckley, and grew up in the Sandy Springs area. He graduated from the College of Charleston with a major in English and the Emory University School of Law. While at the College of Charleston, Ed met the love of his life Patty when he saved her from an elevator stuck between floors of the Morris Sokol Furniture building, then a theater, where they were both involved with a production of the Young Charleston Theater Company. They married in 1980. Ed practiced law in Atlanta for over 40 years, living most of that time in Decatur. He began his career at his father's firm, Greene, Buckley, De Rieux & Jones, and in 2002 founded his own firm, now Buckley Bala Wilson Mew, which he led until his death.

His career impacted the law & our world dramatically for the better. He broke new ground in the field of employment law, with particular expertise in sexual harassment and race, age, and religious discrimination. The National Employment Lawyers Association of Georgia recognized Ed with the Lifetime Achievement Award on March 14, 2025, calling him a "Champion of Justice." In his comments upon receiving the award, he stated what could be seen as a personal credo: "Compassion is our fight." Even outside his profession, Ed was a tireless champion of the underserved, the overlooked, and the trampled upon. He founded a nonprofit, Water Life Hope, under the umbrella of Food for the Poor, with a mission to provide clean & safe water for villages and communities in Haiti and Jamaica.

Ed was known to be a man of strong faith, and to be honest, straightforward, witty, and exactly the person you would call when anything difficult arose - he never hesitated to help a person in need. He was a strong supporter of the Democratic Party and not shy about sharing his opinions. He was a lifelong, excellent writer. In January of this year he wrote an editorial featured in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution regarding the potential ramifications of the current administration's changes to employment law. He also wrote fiction and poetry, publishing the epic poem Pope Hope (2004) and the novel All the Way Home (2018).

Ed and Patty met while involved with theatrical productions at the College of Charleston and were fans and stalwart supporters of local theater in Atlanta and elsewhere. In 2007, they helped finance the Broadway production of August Wilson's last play, Radio Golf. Ed loved the music of the Beatles, Allman Brothers, and Indigo Girls. He enjoyed reading, especially Mark Twain, Terry Kay, Leif Unger, and particularly the writings of and about Abraham Lincoln, a personal hero.

In the early 2000s, Ed and Patty bought land on the Tallapoosa River in Alabama. Over the years they have turned it into a getaway enjoyed by family and friends. Ed loved to swim, fish, and boat on the river, and particularly enjoyed watching the osprey and other water birds.

Ed was preceded in death by his beloved brother Charles, father Ferd, and mother Marianne. He is survived by his cherished wife Patty; his children Derek (Mignon), Natalie (Mike), and Hope (Robin); siblings Kathryn (Ron), Elizabeth (Hank), and Mary (Ralph); grandchildren David H, Joseph, Olivia, David D, Dexter, Mona, and Nari; and nieces, nephews, cousins and friends in the Atlanta area, in and around Charleston, SC, and across the country & globe.

Funeral service will be held at 2 pm Saturday March 29, 2025 at Holy Trinity Episcopal Church, 515 E Ponce de Leon Ave, Decatur, GA 30030, with reception to follow in Parish Hall. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to Food for the Poor in Ed's memory at foodforthepoor.org.