Obituary of Max Eugene Buckley

Max Eugene Buckley, 83, the son of Frank and Marguerite Fern (Jacobs) Buckley, was born July 24, 1925 in What Cheer, Iowa. He was a graduate of the Ottumwa, Iowa Senior High School, Class of 1944, and IBM Schools in Endicott, New York, Kansas City, Missouri and Minneapolis, Minnesota. He was employed in the data processing department at John Morrell & Company in 1947. A resident of the Newton area since 1952, Max retired in 1989 from the Maytag Company as Director of Administrative Services, after 36.3 years of service. On September 26, 1945, Max was united in marriage with the love of his life, his high school sweetheart Mary Elizabeth Halpin in Ottumwa. They are members of the First Christian Church in Newton, and were presented the dedicated servant award and honored with the Congeniality Award from the Chamber of Commerce. Both served on CRT for Progress Industries and RSVP programs. Max had served as an Elder, Trustee Chairman, Deacon, Church Board President, Chairman for the building of the church sanctuary, helping with youth activities and Sunday School teacher. He also served his community as a member of the Maytag Management Club as President and was presented with the Outstanding Service Award from the National Management Club, was the Little League President, Chairman of the Board of Babe Ruth League, helped form the first Maytag Labor Management junior baseball team, helped lay-out the sports complex at Woodland Park, 21 years as a registered athletic official, was named into the Baseball Hall of Fame, Kiwanis past vice president, received a certificate of appreciation from Distributive Educational Club of America, advisory board for Des Moines Area Community College, Advisory Board Chairman for the Newton Salvation Army, past president of Data Processing Management Association Chapter in Des Moines and served on various committees for the United Way. The press box at the Woodland Diamond has been named after Mary and Max, for their dedication to the baseball program. Max loved his wife, family, church and friends. Max went to be with his Lord on Wednesday morning, July 30, 2008 at the North Memorial Medical Center in Robbinsdale, Minnesota. He is preceded in death by his parents, and his sister Mildred Locke. Those left to honor Max's memory include his loving wife Mary Elizabeth of Newton; daughters: Constance "Connie" and Dick Palmer of Newton and Linda and Larry Vroegh of Pleasantville, Iowa; his sons: Frank Edward and Betty Buckley of Newton and John Michael and Jannette Buckley of Plainfield, Illinois; his ten grandchildren; eleven great-grandchildren; a brother Roger Buckley of Ottumwa, Iowa; sister Elva Lou Warner of Ottumwa; and his many good neighbors and friends.