Arlene M Buckey OBITUARY
Arlene M Buckey OBITUARY
Arlene Stein Buckey, age 85, of Bloomfield, CT, died peacefully on the evening of January 9, 2025 in her residence at The Waterman at Seabury in Bloomfield, CT.
Arlene was born in New York, New York on March 24,1939 to Frederick Christopher Stein and Marie (Topp) Stein. Her older brother, Robert Stein, predeceased her.
Arlene lived her early years in Kingston and Valhalla, NY. She attended White Plains High School, and then enrolled in Centenary College in Hackettstown, NJ. During her college years, she met her husband, John Malcolm Buckey. They married on January 3, 1959. Soon after, Arlene and John started a family. Over the next eight years, they navigated newborns and moves, residing in Philadelphia, PA, Wilmington, DE, Philadelphia, PA (again), and Andover, MA before settling down in West Simsbury, CT where they lived for 28 years. There, Arlene served as the librarian at Tootin’ Hills Elementary School and as the Associate Director of Admissions and Director of Financial Aid at Westminster School until she retired in 1990. She also served on several boards, including the Simsbury Public Library, the Simsbury Land Trust, and the Simsbury Garden Club. After Simsbury, Arlene and John moved to Stonington, CT, but soon returned to the Farmington Valley, this time to Farmington Woods in Avon, CT where they lived for the next 20 years. Once again, putting her green thumb to work, Arlene served on the Landscaping Committee bringing color and beauty to her community. In 2018, Arlene and John moved to Seabury in Bloomfield, CT.
Arlene was a beautiful soul inside and out, a tremendous friend, a loving wife, daughter, sister, mother, and grandmother, skilled in all her endeavors. Though she moved to Seabury’s memory care center almost two years ago, her smile and sunny disposition lifted others’ spirits until her final days. Her warmth, kindness, and laughter were treasured by her family and friends and all who came to know her. Arlene had a gift for making flowers bloom, creating warm and welcoming surroundings, and gathering family and friends in the most beautiful ways. Her hands were always busy with crafts, knitting and needlepoint. But above all, her hugs were gold.
Arlene is survived by her husband of 66 years, John Buckey, and their three children, Jill Buckey Thompson, and her four boys, Liam, Alistair, Rowan and Flynn of Milford, CT, Peter Scott Buckey, his wife Suha, and their three girls, Margot, Stella and Louisa of Shelton, CT and Susan Elizabeth Buckey and her husband Patrick Lewis of Boston, Massachusetts.
A memorial service will be held at the Seabury Community chapel in Bloomfield, CT on February 1, 2025, at 11am. In lieu of flowers, please send donations in Arlene Buckey’s honor to the Alzheimer’s Association (https://act.alz.org).
