Eileen H. Buckley

Buckley, Eileen H. (Saunders) of Hingham, died  April 1, 2018 in the comfort of her home and surrounded by her family.

Beloved wife of the late Joseph D. Buckley.  Loving mother of Joseph Buckley and his wife Cathy of Norfolk, William Buckley of Hingham, Sarah Polworth of Katonah, New York, John Buckley and his wife Mariclaire of Hingham, Mary Fallon and her husband Greg of Portland, Oregon and Kathleen Cable of Bristol, England.  Devoted Grandmother to 13 grandchildren. Cherished daughter of the late Dr. John T. and Hester (Harkins) Saunders. Loving sister of Thomas Saunders, Anne FitzGerald, Robert Saunders and Daniel Saunders. Also survived by many nieces and nephews.

Born February 4, 1933, Eileen grew up on Presidents Hill in Quincy, Massachusetts, where she attended St John’s School and Woodward School for Girls. With her family she spent vacation time on Lake Chargoggagoggmanchauggagoggchaubunagungamaugg in her beloved father’s birthplace of Webster, MA. Decades later, she related vivid stories of time there, teaching her children and grandchildren alike how to pronounce the lake’s name correctly.

She graduated from Framingham State College with a Bachelor’s degree in Education.  A highlight of her years at Framingham was traveling to Europe to sing with the college choir,  and music would remain a great love throughout her life She returned to Europe with friends after graduating, driving a VW bus through Italy, Austria, and Switzerland and visiting relatives in Ireland.  She obtained an MEd in Education from Boston State College while spending summers on Cape Cod. It was on the Cape that she was introduced to Joe Buckley, whom she would marry in 1959.

Eileen and Joe moved into their home in the Liberty Pole section of Hingham in 1964, and would stay there the remainder of their lives. Together they raised six children, and Eileen became active in Hingham Mothers Club, Catholic Women’s Club, and Resurrection Parish. Eileen was proud of her deep Catholic faith and was a founding parent of the Montrose School in Medfield, long serving as the President of the Mothers of Montrose. Ever curious about other cultures, Eileen opened up her home to twelve different foreign students during the Montrose years, many of whom she kept in touch with throughout her life.

She returned to Europe many times, meeting and shaking the hand of Pope John Paul II on one of her four trips to Rome.  Eileen delighted in traveling in the US as well; she could not pass a historic sign on the highway without venturing off to explore. In later years she and Joe spent a great deal of time in central Vermont, creating lasting friendships with locals. Eileen was deeply moved by the natural beauty of Vermont and other rural places, and delighted in the simplicity of unpretentious small towns.

Watching her 13 grandchildren grow was among her greatest joys in life, calling the time she spent with them “a little slice of heaven”. With her grandchildren she rediscovered swimming, hiking, and sledding. She enthusiastically cheered on her grandchildren’s sports games and performances, from baseball and football to wrestling, rock climbing, and crew, from acapella singing to trombone.  Visits with Grandma meant endless backyard games of croquet, badminton, and wiffle ball, which she joined in at every opportunity.  Alongside her sports-loving family, she followed the Red Sox and the Patriots season after season with her youthful spirit.   Eileen was a vivid storyteller and a beautiful piano player, playing up until just weeks before she died. She will be deeply missed but never forgotten.

Relatives and friends are respectfully invited to attend the visiting hours on Thursday 4-8 PM in the Pyne Keohane Funeral Home, 21 Emerald St. (off Central St.), HINGHAM. A Celebration of Life Service will be held in the funeral home at 9:15 AM on Friday prior to the Funeral Mass in Church of the Resurrection, Hingham at 10 AM. Burial in MA National Cemetery, Bourne at 1:45 PM.

In lieu of flowers, donations in memory of Eileen may be made to Montrose School, 29 North Street, Medfield, MA 02052, Attn: Development office.