‘I think he got in touch with her and let her know’

“She saw me crying and said, ‘Whoa, Jeffrey, he’s in a better place. He’s happy now.’ I think he got in touch with her and let her know.”

Hood River News reported on the fire at the Buckleys’ Foster Court home in the Aug. 15 edition, but the Buckleys’ names were not available at press time. The Buckleys are life-long Hood River residents who celebrated their 60th anniversary Aug. 1; Bob had worked for Pacific Power and was an avid fisherman.

His cremated remains will be placed in his favorite tackle box and interred at Idlewilde Cemetery.

Mary Jane got out the front door of the house with an assist from her granddaughter, Stephanie Delgado, but Bob was briefly trapped, fortunately near a window, and was removed through the window by firefighters inside and law enforcement officers outside.

“He told me, right after they got him out, ‘If it wasn’t for bad luck, I’d have no luck at all,’” Jeff said. Then, he said Bob told him, “You’ve been doing a good job with me, and it looks like you’re gonna do a little more.”

Bob Buckley spent several days in the hospital after a fall, and when complications set in he was diagnosed with pneumonia, which doctors told him he would not recover from. Mary Jane had been residing at Hawk’s Ridge Assisted Living. Bob then chose to be taken home for his final days, and from Aug. 8-11, the Buckleys were together in their home, with a hospice nurse.

Then the fire happened.

Jeff Buckley said he had been at the home that day until about 10 a.m., and his son, Dallas, was driving nearby and saw people pointing toward his grandparents’ house, and then saw the smoke. He tried to go inside the house; crews were on the way at the time.

The fire apparently started on the south exterior wall. Very quickly, however, smoke that had been trapped between the ceiling and roof filled the living space. The Buckleys were rescued shortly before the roof collapsed. (Hood River Fire Chief Leonard Damian said he is awaiting a report of possible origin and cause by insurance agency investigators.)

Jeff got here as smoke was billowing through the front door and said, “Somebody’s got to help, my parents are in there!” and then saw his mother coming out, Stephanie just behind her.

According to Jeff, the heroes of the fire rescue were Stephanie, police officers Erin Mason and Houston Webb and deputy Adam VandenBosch, and a young boy named Sam who alerted neighbors.

Bob was taken to Providence Hood River Memorial Hospital and then to Jeff’s home, where he died Monday we didn’t always get along really well, and I believe that because we all came together like that it allowed him to finally let go,” Jeff said.

A celebration of life will take place at a time and place, likely Hood River Elks, to be announced. The Buckleys have two sons, Jeff of Hood River and Randall of Portland, and three grandsons: Austin McCormick, Dallas Buckley and Ryles Robert Buckley.

Bob Buckley retired after having a heart attack at 47. Since then, the loving father of three and grandfather to three has been a support to family and friends.

“Whenever anyone needed him, Bob Buckley came running. I’m damned proud of him,” Jeff said.