Matthew Buckley Obituary

Matthew Buckley
10/25/1955 - 07/02/2025
Matt Buckley made more people smile than anybody could possibly count. From friends he made in elementary school who remained close to him all their lives, to his many firefighting colleagues in the Forestry Service and Stanislaus Hot Shot Crew in the 1970s and 80s, to the hundreds of clients and families he worked with during his years with WATCH in Sonora, California.
Because he cared. About everybody. He wanted things to go well. And he looked at life and lived life with a flat-out remarkable sense of humor and heart.
Matt passed away on July 2, 2025 at Doctors Hospital in Modesto, surrounded by loved ones, both the ones present in the room and the many who held him in their hearts.
Matt was born in Mountain View, California on October 25, 1955, to Annabelle and Jack Buckley, the 4th of 5 children in a somewhat chaotic but very welcoming family. The doors of their house in Los Altos were always open to friends and cousins, Little League teammates, high school teammates, pretty much everyone.
Matt wasn't really fond of rules. His childhood and teen years played out on the wide suburban streets, at Grant School, Cupertino Junior High and Homestead High. Sometimes his energy got him into trouble - but his huge heart and great laughter rose up over everything else.
After graduating high school, Matt and several of his close friends moved to the Sonora area where rents were low (this was the 1970s) and there is great beauty everywhere. He followed his heart and joined the fire crews.
Upon leaving the Forestry, the next chapter of his life focused on his true passion-working with colleagues, clients and their families at WATCH. He supported adults with developmental disabilities and enriched their lives through his presence, compassion and joy - and activities like SF Giants games and summer campouts. It is safe to say that many people at WATCH had wonderful adventures that they would have never experienced if it wasn't for Matt Buckley.
Matt's heart led him to his WATCH colleague, Terry Brooks. The two lived together for many years, with Matt helping to raise Terry's remarkable daughters, Carey and Katie, and eventually wonderful granddaughters McKenzie and Josie, and faithful pup, Emmylou.
Matt loved and was loved by his siblings Jon, Suzanne and Pete, but he had a truly special connection with his closest brother, Marty. Marty's death in 2019, as well as the death of Matt's beloved brother-in-law, Kenny, in 2024, were tough losses. His health began to really decline.
And just as Matt stepped up for so many people during his life, his friends and family stepped up for Matt when he needed them. His sister Suzanne, his brother Peter, and his great friends Jimmy Gado, Tom Ramback, Cristine Barsanti and Kathleen Lorimer, and Matt's cousins, Denise Flaherty and Jimmy Flaherty, worked together as a loving circle to help take good care of someone who truly didn't like to be told what to do.
Despite not feeling well, he celebrated with his Buckley clan in Ashland and the Dunckel clan in Pacifica whenever he could. Matt stayed lovingly connected to Marty's widow, Cindy Buckley in Chico.
Over the past several years, Matt would often condense his wisdom to two ideas-that everybody does the best they can and that you should always let people you love know they are loved.
He loved greatly and was greatly loved.
A celebration of Matt's life is being planned in Sonora (details [email protected]) Donations in his memory – Watch Resources/Social Recreation. 12801 Cabuzut Rd. Sonora, CA 95370