Obituary: Buckley deConinck-Smith

Buck was an accomplished guitar player and loved sharing his musical talent with others. There was rarely a time when he was not a part of a local band, playing music at multiple venues throughout the Columbia Gorge. The Glenwood rodeo dances were always a highlight. He was still playing music at the local area senior dances and meal sights into his late 80s.

In his midlife, he became interested in raising dahlias. He started a small flower garden that turned into a large one, cross breeding and creating his own varieties, which he always named after a special person in his life. He loved showing off his flowers and cutting bouquets to send home with anyone who stopped by.

He spent most of his working career as an equipment operator, loading logs and building roads. He retired from SDS Lumber Company, but soon decided he missed working. He continued to build roads for SDS and other local operations until his early 80s.

Buck loved people. He never knew a stranger and would sit and talk to anyone who would listen to his stories, whether it was at his home, the bowling alley, on the golf course, or sitting in a waiting room. He spent his last few months at the Prestige Care Center, in Hood River, where he passed away on Dec. 23, 2020, at the age of 92.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Ove and Mary; brother Tony; and four sisters, Rebecca Eager, Caroline Kuhnhausen, Grace Garr and Margaret Hewitt; and daughter-in-law Elizabeth. He is survived by his children, Susan Rogers, White Salmon, Gary, Braintree, Mass., Kathy (Joe) Simon, White Salmon and Mary(Rick) Williams, Ellensburg, Wash.; eight grandchildren;12 great-grandchildren; and multiple nieces and nephews.

No service has been planned due to COVID restrictions.