lit a candle 3d agofound this while reading about Navy sonar techs from that era. "passed peacefully, surrounded by family." twenty one years of service, then eighteen more fixing gas and water lines. that's a life.
Their story
Clarence Cleo "Chub" Buckley, a retired United States Navy senior chief petty officer and longtime Springfield, Missouri, utility worker, died on October 30, 2026, at his home, surrounded by his family. He was 88 years old. Buckley was not a nationally famous figure; what is known about his life comes…
Clarence Cleo "Chub" Buckley, a retired United States Navy senior chief petty officer and longtime Springfield, Missouri, utility worker, died on October 30, 2026, at his home, surrounded by his family. He was 88 years old. Buckley was not a nationally famous figure; what is known about his life comes chiefly from the obituary published by Greenlawn Funeral Home North, and no cause of death has been made public beyond the family's description of his passing as peaceful.
Buckley was born on August 26, 1938, in Pocahontas, Arkansas, to James Elza Buckley and Minnie Beatrice (Tharp) Buckley. He went on to serve in the United States Navy for 21 years, working as a sonar technician and rising to the rank of senior chief petty officer, pay grade E8, before retiring on August 10, 1976. His Navy service took him around the world, and those who knew him said he enjoyed telling stories from his years at sea.
After leaving the Navy, Buckley settled in Springfield, Missouri, and began a second career with the city's Gas and Water Department. He worked there until 1994, when he retired as an inspector. He remained active in veterans' causes for the rest of his life, serving with American Legion Post 69 and with the Forty and Eight Voiture 760, a veterans' service organization, where he held lifetime membership and several offices over the years.
Buckley's family life spanned two marriages. He married Janet Louise Handley on December 31, 1961, and the couple remained married until her death on April 10, 2008. He later married Martha, who survives him. He was the father of four children: Jeff Buckley, Pam Tuck, Colleen Harrod and Scott Buckley, along with their spouses and extended family.
News of Buckley's death circulated through his published obituary rather than through wider media coverage, reflecting that he lived as a private citizen known within his family, Navy, and veterans' community rather than as a public figure. The family asked that, in lieu of flowers, donations be made to Good Shepherd Hospice in his name. Details of visitation and memorial services, if planned beyond what the funeral home has listed, had not been confirmed as of this writing.
Biography adapted from News reports and the sources cited on this page; death reported by Legacy | Obituary.
Nice of you to notice him. Thank you.