Eliot - William Edwin Buckley Jr, age 83, died of a heart attack at Portsmouth Hospital on Thursday August 27, 2020.

Bill was born on March 29, 1937 in Boston, MA, to parents William and Florence Buckley. He graduated from Stonehill College in 1959 with a degree in History. The majority of Bill's distinguished career was spent working in the Insurance Industry for Aetna, Crum and Forster and Royal Insurance where he served as the President and CEO. After retiring from the insurance industry, Bill was very active  in the Coast Guard Auxiliary from 1998 until his death, Bill was proud to have been the Flotilla Commander and serve as the only Commercial Fishing Boat inspector in the local area for many years.

Bill had an abundance of interests and hobbies for which he was passionate about. A talented woodworker, Bill created beautiful pieces of inlaid furniture for his family. Bill's wood working skills extended to one of his other passions, Captaining the Elizabeth B, for which he designed the interior with beautiful koa wood. Bill's love of the water and Maine extended to his service as a Commercial Fishing Boat Inspector. This interest was in perfect keeping with Bill's desire to be of service to the fisherman for whom he held such great respect

Prior to moving to Maine, Bill was an avid horseman, an accomplished pilot, enjoyed scuba diving in exotic places such as the Grand Caymans, the Great Barrier Reef, Granada, Hawaii and Catalina Island to name a few.

Bill is survived by his wife of 47 years, Beth Buckley; his children Kerri Buckley, William Buckley III and Traci Hadel; their spouses Cindy Hess, Sheri Hines and William Hadel; five grandchildren- Michael, Julia,  Kyle, John and Lee, his great-granddaugher Heidi, his sister Gail Carter, his beloved dogs, Katie, Jake, Norman and many nieces and nephews. He is preceded in death by his parents and his siter, Joan Johnston and his many canine companions.

Services : A time of visitation will be held from 2:00-4:00p on Tuesday, September 1 ^st , at the J.S. Pelkey & Son Funeral Home, 125 Old Post Rd, Kittery, Maine. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made in his memory to The New Hampshire Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals; P.O. Box 196; Stratham, NH 03885. All guests who attend the visitation are always expected to wear masks due to Covid-19 and will be asked to maintain social distancing per CDC guidelines. To leave online condolences please visit www.jspelkeyfuneralhome.com  . Care for the Buckley family has been entrusted to the JS Pelkey & Son Funeral Home.