July 16, 1937 - December 23, 2020
Dawn Adele Buckley, 83, of Hamilton, New Jersey, mother-grandmother-friend, passed away peacefully in the early morning hours of December 23, 2020 after a long battle with lung cancer.
She had boundless energy, which she put to good use while working at “her” Rite Aid on Kuser Road, a job she very reluctantly gave up at age 82 after having received her terminal diagnosis. She had many loyal customers, and she missed them and her co-workers (Mohamed, Fatama, Pat) terribly during her illness.
She had a group of friends who had been bosom buddies since primary school and who regularly spent time together. Emily Bonfanti, Annette LoPresti, Dot Flavin and the late Adele Mueller would drink coffee, nibble treats and laugh and laugh until they cried. She loved those evenings together and was so thankful for their friendships. Dawn was a great friend, with great friends like Kymberly Stone and the late Shirley LaPenna.
Dawn, or “Oh, Dear Sweet Grandmom” as she was called by her grandchildren, Kate and Kyle, would do almost anything her grandchildren asked. She did once refuse, however, to go back to Disney World because she had already been there. But they could call her up on the spur of the moment to ask if she’d be in a home movie, or go in the pool or go sledding, or go practically anywhere and she’d be there in a heartbeat. She was the designated chaperone on school trips, the railfanning buddy, the art show booth-watcher. She was and will always be the “Gmom” who loved her cups of tea, even in 100-degree heat!
As a mother-in-law, Dawn was blessed with the best son-in-law ever. Jeff treated her as well as he did his own mother. He would surprise her with gluten-free treats he found, and always found the time to happily take her wherever she asked to go or do whatever she needed to be done. She always bragged that she was a lucky mother-in-law to have Jeff. He always felt that he was lucky to have her.
My mother had a challenging childhood and marriage, but as a mother, you would never know it. She would get down on the floor and play dolls with my sister, Debra, and I. She would color with us, jump rope with us, save up some extra money to buy us a treat from the ice cream man. We never ever doubted that we were loved. She became my “old buddy, old pal,” my partner in crime. We were often Lucy and Ethel, doing crazy things together. I could count on my mom. There are no words to express how deeply she was loved, and how deeply she will be forever missed.
Our family would like to thank Pat, Korto and Amelia from Penn Medicine Hospice. Their gentleness, kindness, and genuine caring made my mother’s journey so much more bearable for her and us. They really are superheroes.
Dawn was predeceased by her husband, Alfred (“Donald”) Buckley, her daughter, Debra Claire Buckley, parents Walter and Mary Edwards and her beloved sister Judith VanMorter.
She leaves behind her daughter, Judy Buckley-Jacobs, son-in-law, Jeff Jacobs, her loving grandchildren Kate and Kyle, her special cousin, Matilda Racz, a sister and brother, and several nieces and nephews.
In lieu of flowers memorial contributions may be made to Animals in Distress PO Box 3373, Hamilton, NJ 08619.
Services are private and under the direction of the Buklad-Merlino Memorial Home, 2141 South Broad Street, Hamilton.
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