Lucille Rose Buckley was born June 21, 1934 in a farmhouse in Hartford, Wisconsin as the youngest of five siblings.  Her father died two weeks short of her third birthday prompting a move to "town".  Hartford is located just 40 miles from the big city of Milwaukee. The big city was the favorite spot for young girls to go shopping and have fun, a reprieve from working at the sausage factory. It was one of those shopping trips that Lucille met handsome Navy man, Robert Buckley.  Winning a bet, Lucille asked him out.  They married within a year, said goodbye to the snow and moved to sunny Clairemont, CA finding community with other Navy families. Lucille was a proud Navy wife and learned to drive so that she could care for the kids while Dad was on his tours. Later, Robert took a position in Illinois at Great Lakes Naval Training Center finishing his naval career, retiring in '68. Health concerns over their youngest infant soon prompted a return to southern California.  They relocated temporarily with in-laws in Fontana, CA with four boys in tow. Renting in National City for a time they eventually bought a new home in Poway, famous for its rodeo (which she never attended)! Here they made lifelong friends and saw their children and grandchildren grow up.  Infamous car trips back to Wisconsin every few years were legendary.  Some trips she drove the kids alone and some she braved with teenage drivers!  Family in the Midwest looked forward to her visits as an excuse to get together and reacquaint.

Quiet and reserved, yet she would surprise you with her humor and strength of will.  Maybe it was the twinkle in her blue eyes or her fiery red hair that gave her her spunk.  An avid Raider's fan, things became tense when her team played Dad's Chargers. She enjoyed trips to Laughlin, playing Bingo, puzzles on her iPad, John Wayne, and watching movies on the channel Grit.  Her license plate holder read "Bingo playing Nana". She LOVED being Nana to Matthew, David, Ross, Garrett, Mira, and Darren spoiling them with quarters from the "Laughlin trip" jar, attending sporting events, and she always had candy in the dish for them.

Lucille enjoyed travel, venturing on camping trips with grandkids and added Florida and Oregon to her family vacation destinations.  And yes, we took her to her first rodeo! Wanting to see more of the world, she took family on a houseboat adventure on Lake Powell and cruises to Alaska, Hawaii, and the Caribbean.  She was most proud of her 4 boys (Ronald, Robert, Tim, and Kelly) and how they loved their wives and families.  She embraced her daughters-in-law (Carol, Paula, and Michelle) with open arms. She LOVED being Nana and Great Nana (Kallie, Allison, Brielle, Eva, Chloe, Cassandra, Annisten) and was excited for more to come!

In Spring of 2021, she moved from her home in Valley Center that she shared with Tim and Paula for six years and joined Kelly and Michelle in Oregon.  There she enjoyed trips to the coast, taking the long way home from church to see flowers in bloom, and getting pedicures where she continued to pick the wildest colors possible. Most evenings were spent playing cards, Rummy being her favorite.  On Oct. 17, 2022 (a date she shares with her sister) Lucille passed away peacefully at age 88 of natural causes: the result of kidney & heart complications. Her son, Kelly, was by her side.  She is survived by her sister, Pearl Schoenbeck age 95.