Anne Buckley, 51, of South Burlington, peacefully transitioned from
this world to her next great adventure on April 8, 2024, while at the
Miller-McClure Respite house, after a long-fought battle with heart disease.
As always, her timing was impeccable, following the
once-in-a-lifetime total solar eclipse!
Anne was blessed
with over 13 extra years through a heart transplant in 2010. While
not all of them were easy, they
were all a bonus for someone who was diagnosed with a failing heart
at age 30.
Anne was born to Ray
and Linda Buckley on October 16, 1972, in Glens Falls, N.Y. She experienced loss at
the early age of eight, with her mother dying of the same heart
condition that she would eventually be diagnosed with.
Anne was the
embodiment of resilience and persistence. After graduation from
Queensbury High School, she
ventured off to college at Colorado State University. This began her
travel adventures, spending winters in Colorado and summers in
Martha’s Vineyard. She eventually found herself in the
Burlington, Vt., area, where she created her home while still
traveling the world, which included an extended stay in Boulder,
Colo. In both Burlington and Boulder, as with anywhere she
spent time, she developed deep friendships and touched many people.
Anne was the kind of
person you instantly enjoyed. Beautiful, hilarious and engaging, she
always asked thoughtful and genuine questions to learn about the
people she met.
Often the party
planner or organizer of escapades, you never had a dull moment with
Anne. So many friends and
family can tell stories of fabulous times with Anne. Please do that
in the days and weeks ahead. She
will be thrilled to live on in this way. She was sincerely moved by
all the kindness and love
bestowed on her and paid it forward at every opportunity. She
inspired hundreds of people to persevere in their lives by telling
her truly amazing life story.
In honor of Anne,
please consider becoming an organ and tissue donor (donatelife.net/).
We were all blessed with many unexpected memories and joyful times
because of the heroic act of organ donation.
A memorial
celebration will take place in early June in Vermont, details to be
shared at a later date. Please visit awrfh.com to share your memories
and condolences.
This article appears in Apr 10-16, 2024.