Sarah "Sally" Amelia Buckley

Sarah Amelia “Sally” Buckley departed her earthly home on Sunday, August 17, 2025, after a brief illness following a diagnosis of cancer of the gallbladder. A registered nurse, licensed in Texas and Arizona, she practiced Emergency Nursing for most of her nursing career in Arizona. She also served the geriatric population in a nursing home in Phoenix for several years.

A graduate of the Nursing Program of Phoenix College, Phoenix, AZ, she began working at the Maricopa County General Hospital (now Valleywise Health), Phoenix, in 1967 through 1979 when she moved to Amarillo, TX. She also worked at the then Phoenix Baptist Hospital; a local alcohol reception center in Phoenix; and volunteered at a community sponsored health clinic in south Phoenix.

She is the daughter of Ruth Lorraine Johnson Larcker (deceased) and Eugene Larcker (deceased); brothers LeRoy Johnson (deceased); Dennis Johnson (deceased) (Beverly); and sister Carole Seitz (deceased) (Bill).

Surviving are husband, John J. Buckley, Jr., brothers Eugene Larcker (Ann); Michael Puceloski; Greg Puceloski (Cheri); Mark Puceloski (Lorna); and sister Cindy Harmon (Karl); and other nieces and nephews.

Sally is the proud mother of three children: Ruth Mary van Bergen (Shaun); Patricia Kimberly Cascio (Frank); and John Buckley, III (Brittany). Grandchildren include Shane Samuel van Bergen and Kadie Sarah van Bergen; Rae Hunter Cascio and Brody Cole Cascio; Trenton Joseph Buckley and Brooklyn Brines.

She was born and raised in Chicago and moved to Phoenix in the early 1950s and graduated from Maryvale High School and Phoenix College.

Her love of and for animals was bigger than life. She acquired her first horse at age 10 and had horses for another 50 years. Her yellow labrador retriever, Hoot’s Gold Dust (aka, Jason), was trained by Sally and won numerous obedience competitions and appeared in several health-related marketing pieces in Phoenix. When not working with animals after caring for her patients, she loved baseball, especially the Chicago Cubs, never caring about who won or lost but rather how well the game was played.

Sally married Jack Buckley on May 16, 1970, and they lived in Phoenix; Amarillo, TX; Lebanon, OH; Murphysboro and Herrin, IL; and Bryan/College Station, TX.

A funeral Mass and a celebration of her gracious life will be held at a later date.

We cannot thank the nursing staffs at St. Joseph Regional and Burleson St. Joseph Regional and Burleson St. Joseph Hospitals enough for the exceptional care provided. Special appreciation to the great staff at the Hospice of the Brazos Valley for their responsiveness and assistance. Special thanks to Erin Fleener, MD; Chris Derbes, MD; Kia Parsi, MD; and Fr. Will Stratten for all their special attention to Sally and her clinical journey. Sally’s final journey would have been more difficult without these great friends and resources.

In lieu of flowers, we ask that, if inclined, memorials in Sally’s name go to the St. Joseph Foundation for either the Oncology Staff at St. Jospeh Regional Hospital or the staff at the Burleson St. Joseph Hospital; Hospice of the Brazos Valley; and St. Mary’s Catholic Center, College Station.