William S. Buckland, Jr.

William S. Buckland Jr., better known as 'Bill' passed away peacefully in his sleep while laying in his favorite spot while watching tv with his cats on June 23, 2025 in the town of Elmira, New York.

William Sturgis Buckland, Jr. was born on October 29, 1950. He retired as a Chemical Operator from Merck prior to moving to Elmira. He is preceded in death by his loving mother Angelina Pepper, his son Michael Buckland, and his good friend Jack ‘Gator’ Ziegler, all of whom have been waiting with open arms for him to be called home.

Bill was a proud Marine and proud to have served his country from July 28, 1969 to July 27, 1973. He was honorably discharged from the Marines as a sergeant with a National Defense Service Medal, a Good Conduct Medal and a Rifle Marksmen Badge. He proudly defended what he believed in -  our American history, and he carried that with him the rest of his life.

Bill was an amazing father to his sons Michael & Matthew, and his daughter Carolyn. He was an equally loving father-in-law to his daughter-in-law Kelly and son-in-law Lucio, and grandfather to his grandchildren -  Angel, Gabriela, and Michael. He understood the precious value of time and he never took it for granted. He wasted no time with hesitation or doubt and in every conversation he consistently let it be known that his family was loved.

One of Bill’s favorite sayings was, “What a tangled web we weave when we first practice to deceive! (Sir Walter Scott) This, for him, was more than just another “idea’r” -  it was a way of life. He was a man of his word, he spoke the truth and if he said he was going to do something it was as good as done. (He may have taken and overly complicated path to get there sometimes, but that’s neither here not there!)

Another one of Bill’s favorite sayings was, “Good friends & good neighbors are priceless.” He appreciated where he lived, the land, the people and the common sense of the community. Good friends & good neighbors meant the world to Bill and he never hesitated to let people know how much he appreciated them and valued their friendship. Whether he was catching up with Louie Pecorare, Gary Gioia, George Mussabrook, Nick Choman, ‘Ziggy’ Ziegler, or reminiscing about his adventures with ‘Gator’, Bill always had a special place in his heart for people he knew he could count on and trust. He was not one much for crowds but his friend circle grew when he moved to Elmira. Bill knew he found priceless friendship with Mike Langdon, Peg Weaver, Al Chapman, Paul Bailey, Butch Campbell, Dave Mack & Jenifer Cornell. The conversations, laughter and tears he shared with his friends meant a lot and those moments were truly priceless to him. (To anyone whose name may not be here, please know this is an imperfect list from an imperfect writer. If he is in the heart of your thoughts then know that you being in the heart of his thoughts was as good as done.)

Aside from family, friends and his cats Karen, Tipin, Mickey, and Doe, it made Bill happy to feed the neighborhood family with peppers, cucumbers or tomatoes from his garden. He loved helping other people. Bill was never a hunter but when his buddies Mike and Dave took down a nice sized buck Bill jumped at the opportunity to swing the Koboto around to help move it. That was the type of person he was. He always appreciated & respected his neighbors.

To show his appreciation Bill would spend months of planning and preparation and spend countless hours of work with little to no thought of cost as he built music boxes for people. No matter how many frustrations he may have faced during the building process it never once crossed his mind to stop. He was no quitter and he was determined to brighten someone’s day, even if only for a moment. To him all of the time and effort invested was worth it to make someone else smile.

Bill was a good Marine, a good man, a good father, a good grandfather, a good neighbor and a good friend. May we all be blessed to have similar sentiments shared about us and have them known to be true by so many people when it is our time to go. May his work ethic, spirit of generosity, light-heartedness and neighborly respect live on through those who knew him well. And when those pearly gates open to us and Saint Peter calls our name on our way home, I know Bill will be in his garage off of a country road working on another “idear” or polishing up that ol’ ‘53 Ford pickup while sipping on a Coors Light, shooting the sh*t with his buddy Gator with the door open waiting for us to stop by.