Chris Buckley

8/29/1951-2/21/2010

Chris Buckley was born in Indiana on August 29th, 1951 to his proud parents Mary Helen and John. Chris was the first of 4 siblings and quickly became adept at negotiating with his younger sisters Rachel, Sarah and, much later on, baby Meredith. As a kid growing up in the suburbs of St. Louis, Missouri, Chris was inquisitive, curious, and his inclination to draw came very early. At five years old, Chris was inseparable from a pencil and paper, and was clearly emerging as a great artist!

You would not say Chris soared academically, since his interests strayed to football, horny toads, art and being cool in his adolescent years. In his early teens, the family spent summer weekends at a rural Missouri cabin where Chris relished fishing, swimming, hiking, snake collecting and boating. The cabin was the kids’ first lesson in sleeping under the stars, and they loved it!

Just as any other child of the 60’s, Chris developed an interest in all things “Age of Aquarius”: Rock n Roll, black lights, hippie garb and music concerts. How he made it through that life chapter is anyone’s guess!

Chris enjoyed his college years at the University of Montana, Missoula, followed by an enriching two year tenure in Australia where he taught art.

Chris married his long time sweetheart, Dianne Michalek, in 1978, when they eloped to Haiti – much to everyone’s surprise! Soon they moved to Denver and began their family. Shannon was born in 1981 and Kyle followed in 1985. Chris loved being a Dad and his children made his world complete. Chris’s mom and step father loved to host family reunions at the Lake of the Ozarks each summer, and for over 10 years running, Chris and his family made the long trip to Missouri to take part. Some of Chris’s fondest memories are fishing off the dock, swimming and “hot dog” water skiing – which usually ended up in some nearly fatal injury, thanks to Chris’s “take no prisoners” ski technique. And the cut throat games of family Pictionary are legendary tales to this day. Equally famous in the Reunion genre, were the world class Thanksgivings hosted by Dianne and Chris for the Michalek crowd for over 13 joyous seasons.

Most of Chris’s career involved working as a mechanical design engineer, designing plumbing and fire systems for large industrial projects. He worked for several design firms in the Denver area, including his latest stint at MKK Consulting Engineers, which Chris found particularly enriching.

Chris had a passion for living which included sports, gardening, painting, polishing his fly fishing technique, roaming flea markets with his mother-in-law, tinkering on his never ending Volkswagen project, and house mending. But his greatest joy was his family. Chris was a devoted husband and father, and always sought to strike the important balance between career and family time. He had a love for fun, and always created a spirited and festive environment for anyone in his company.

The family’s most recent gifts were the birth of their grand daughter’s Kamryn, now age 3+ and Audree, now 20 months. Chris adored being a grandfather and cherished the time he had to celebrate and entertain the wee ones. They were his greatest joy.

Chris had a reputation as a gentle soul, a caring family man, who lived it with a passion for life and the love of a good time. He is loved, adored and he will be missed.

(Feb, 2010)

Memorial Services for Chris Buckley will be held at Olinger Hampden Chapel, 8600 E. Hampden Avenue in Denver on Friday, February 26, 2010, Three O'clock in the afternoon.