Mary Ann Buckley

Mary was born on March 12, 1941, in Worcester, Massachusetts, to James and Helen (Doyle) Connor. She was one of three sisters, growing up alongside Jean Marie (Connor) Devine and Katherine (Pappas) Salzseider.

Mary graduated from Wakefield High School and went on to earn her associate degree in Home Economics from Garland Junior College in Boston. On June 6, 1963, she married the love of her life, Peter John Buckley.

Mary had many roles throughout her life. She was a bank teller, a military wife, a homemaker, a mother, a grandmother, a great-grandmother, a teacher, and, most importantly, a friend to so many.

One of the things that made Mary so special was that she never believed it was too late to learn something new. At 40 years old, she learned how to swim. She began her mission teaching swimming lessons at the YMCA in Sarasota. Her involvement with National Alliance for the Mentally Ill included education of the local police force in appropriate intervention for those in crisis.

Mary knew how to enjoy life. She loved playing cards, basket weaving, reading, knitting, gardening, and spending time with the people she loved. But perhaps what she loved most was people themselves. Mary had a gift for making friendships last. She genuinely wanted to know about the lives of others and loved hearing their stories. She remembered people, she listened, and she made those around her feel like their stories mattered. Her laughter will be forever remembered.

For her family, Mary was the heart of so many memories. She leaves behind her sister, Jean Marie (Connor) Devine; her four children, Nicole Marie Buckley, Michelle Marie Grob (Dave), Jean Marie Melendez, and Michael John Buckley (Tina); her grandchildren, Kaitlin Marie Howard (Josh), Jacob Peter Grob (Carly), Mary Katherine Grob, Andrew Michael White (Stephanie), Danielle Marie Orndroff (Dakota), Meghan Marie Buckley, Dylan Michael Buckley (Meaghan), and Connor Nicholas Buckley, Christopher Melendez, Austin Melendez, and her ever-growing group of great-grandchildren, Gwendolyn, Nickolaus, Lillian, Winston, Logan, Madeleine, Remy, and Arthur.

Mary was preceded in death by her parents, James and Helen Connor; her beloved husband, Peter John Buckley; her sister, Kathy; and her granddaughter, Madelynn Marie Buckley.

Although we will miss her deeply, we are grateful for the life she gave us, the lessons she taught us, and the memories she left behind. We will remember her around the card table, in the stories we tell, in the laughter shared between family, and in all the little moments that remind us of her.

Mary taught us that it is never too late to try something new, that friendships are worth holding onto, and that everyone has a story worth hearing.

Her greatest legacy is the family she loved and the many lives she touched. She will be missed, she will be remembered, and she will always be loved.

A Mass celebrating Mary’s life will be held at Our Lady of the Angels Catholic Church in Bradenton, Florida, at 11:00 a.m. on October 14th, 2026, followed by her interment at Sarasota National Cemetery at 2:30 p.m.

In lieu of flowers, Mary's family asks that donations be made in her name to the Hope Floats Foundation.