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JustPlainChic

Rest in Peace, LeRoy Buckley

By JustPlainChic, in Blue Skies - In Memory Of

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SimonBones    1

SimonBones

I posted this on bj.com too, This is copy and pasted from my BASE number email B name removed:

Jump #38 – Building
XXX building, SC
240ft
December 25th, 2007 – Christmas morning

At 2AM on Christmas morning, Leroy, Dark Naked, and I continued our BASE road trip to get our first B (thanks again Leroy!) That was one of the most fun jumps I remember because we went at this building special ops style. We parked a mile away and maneuvered through the woods to our compound entrance point fully equipped with night vision. Once to the compound fence, we had to jump it and make a mad dash for the shadows behind tall bushes as it was a fairly lit up compound. From shadow to shadow we sneaked towards the building. The building was surrounded with two layers of fence as well. Fortunately the first fence had a fallen over section we hopped and I was quickly able to find a weak point on the inner fence. We crawled into a basement window into the pitch black of a hotel that has stood ‘under construction’ for a long time as a canceled project. With Leroy’s night vision and red lights we located the stairs and started our climb to the roof mostly in the dark.

Once on the roof, we peered over the edge to find a security vehicle circling the building. Somehow we must have been spotted. The security guard showed no interest in coming into the pitch black building after us, so we sat on the rooftop waiting him out. Eventually he drove off, but circled back a few times. Leroy tied off a static line to an eye bolt at the edge off the roof and DN and I got our pilot chutes ready. I PCA’d Dark Naked, counted a few seconds, and jumped with Leroy PCAing me. A few seconds later Leroy was coming in behind me. We all landed in the shadows of a big bushy tree, stuffed our gear in the stash bags and made a wild dash for the compound fence going clear over it.

We rushed through the woods to get back to the car only to find that we came out of the woods a half mile up the road where the car was parked, around the corner from the compound. Three men dressed in black with black bags on their back sprinted full speed down that road that night hoping that the security guard (or anyone else) would not come driving down that road after hearing the three loud sequential bangs from canopies opening. We made it safely back to the car and drove away victorious.


That is what hanging out with Leroy was like, awesome. Best Christmas ever. My most memorable and fun BASE jumps were made possible by you. I will miss our countless phone conversations asking each other for guidance on "how to get this damn elevator going". You will truly be missed :(

108 way head down world record!!!
http://www.simonbones.com
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katiebear21    0

katiebear21
Miiissssttteeeerrrrr Buckley! Damn it!!! I still remember Raeford when we first started jumping and you downsized to that small canopy (was it a crossfire?) and you hurt your ankle. Never could tell you anything. Then you had that little car with the God-awful Birdman graphic. That kept you occupied for a while but you moved onto BASE. Next thing we know you're on TV hung up in some antenna wires and everyone in NC is disowning you...

Then you started to grow up. You had a few girlfriends, became really responsible in your job, worked your ass off at Bridge Day, and finally had a son. Everytime I saw you recently you never seemed to surprise me.

You always had a big heart and rarely any bad intentions. You just wanted people to like and respect you.

Thanks for all the conversations that helped me pass the time while I was deployed.

Thanks for the awesome vid of me at my first Bridge Day.

Keep an eye on the rest of us...

BSBD,
Katie Blue

Katie
Get your PMS glass necklace here

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mtbriles    0

mtbriles
He answered all my silly questions about BASE even when he knew i didnt even have any skydives.

Thanks bro.

BSBD, Leroy
Why not?
My direction in life is up...then down again REALLY REALLY FAST!!!
Never take life too seriously. Nobody gets out alive anyway.
D.S. #55

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bozo    0

bozo
LeRoy....and he corrected me more than once....its a capital R....met some time ago while he was in Afghanistan. I was having problems with my back and could never sleep and it was daytime for him there. We seemed to instant message every day.

He was a good guy and I really grew fond of him and his wild ideas. We even hooked up once and did some jumps when i started to get better.
I was hoping against all the facts that he was the guy that the cops were after, anything is better than this.
LeRoy....i'll leave you on my friends list with a couple others who are now gone from us, you'll be in good company there little brother.
Go easy bro.


bozo
Pain is fleeting. Glory lasts forever. Chicks dig scars.

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RhondaLea    4

RhondaLea
Quote

LeRoy....and he corrected me more than once....its a capital R....



And...the way he always wrote it was with a space between the "e" and the "R", thus "Le Roy."

I had a moment of forgetfulness, so when I searched my mail, I was unable to find him, until I put the space in...then all his emails magically appeared.

We weren't friends at the end of his life, although I finally confirmed the very last invitation he sent me--too late unless he's watching from where he is now--but what many have said of him is true: he never meant harm to anyone, and he made every effort to rebuild the bridges he inadvertantly burned in earlier years.

And I agree with you: PTSD and carjacking would have been a far better outcome. His passing is a terrible loss.

rl
If you don't know where you're going, you should know where you came from. Gullah Proverb

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GhostRider06    0

GhostRider06
To all his friends- I had the honor of finding LeRoy after a long and exhaustive search. I was part of a Utah Army National Guard Blackhawk helicopter crew that made it our mission to not give up until we found him. The fact that LeRoy was a Veteran gave us all the extra motivation we needed to accept the risks of flying in those treacherous canyons. I want to be sensitive to those of you who new and loved him by just saying this, I believe he didn't suffer and the death was immediate. I can tell you that it appears that he somehow became hopelessly tangled in his chute and that the chute likely never even fully opened. I am not an expert so my opinion is based on a novice observation. To those of you who served with him in the military, I am proud to say that the Army found one of their own and helped to bring closure to a devastating week for his family.

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lisamariewillbe    1

lisamariewillbe
I have been hiding from his death, keeping busy with the planning of the memorials and being peoples shoulder or ear when they needed it. However that today came to a head and I cant keep putting my grief to the side. Today I finally unpacked my car from the search and recovery of his body... it wasnt a dream as I have been trying to pretend. Le Roy will be missed ... he was and will always be loved, and if you can please attend one of the following to say good bye to my friend. His ash dive will be my last skydive... I no longer will even come on here once the dive is over, if you wish to remain in contact with me add me to your face book or email me at lisamariekull@ gmail.com.

As you all know LeRoy Buckley (leroydb) passed away during his 400th BASE jump at Notch Peak last month. As per his wishes he wanted his main ash dive to take place at Raeford in N.C. However Bridge day was mentioned in his last wishes as well and so I am trying to figure out which one of you are giving him a bad ass BASE goodbye. I am unsure if Stitch and the others on the search crew can make it but they get dibs. Anyone who is already registered can you please either post here that you are available or willing to jump in his memory. Also if anyone can get Jason or someone else from Bridgeday in touch with me I would really appreciate it. My email is lisamariekull@gmail.com. Once the bridge is done being jumped for the day join in for a toast to him. I am still unsure if I am able to make it but his girlfriend and son Jayden will be there.

Raeford N.C. Oct 23rd , approx 4 pm an ash dive is planned with a party to follow. I think the jump is full but I could use a good camera man to film it. Greenmachine has offered to edit the videos of his memorials so I want to make sure he gets some good footage to work with. I will definitely be here for this one, as well as Tiffany, Jayden and most of LeRoys family.

Please come help us put our friend, brother, father, son, and solider to rest. Thank you for your time.
Sudsy Fist: i don't think i'd ever say this
Sudsy Fist: but you're looking damn sudsydoable in this

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