Stephanie Ellen Buckley

Stephanie Ellen Buckley, who parlayed a youthful exuberance for hijinks and derring-do into a resolve and determination for navigating life’s challenges, from twirling a fire baton as a teen, to drawing her last breaths on her terms with serene stoicism, died March 1, 2023, in Easton, MD. She was 81. As head drum majorette at Abington High School in the Philadelphia suburbs, she upped her game and wowed the crowds during night football half-time shows under the lights with her high-octane performances. When she set her batons ablaze and survived, she thrived. She bopped around Ocean City, NJ, during the summers of her youth and bobby-soxed her way onto the set of the nascent TV show American Bandstand as a dancer. After Marjorie Webster Junior College in Washington, DC, and a few years in West Chester, PA, she spent the rest of her life in Chestertown, enjoying life-long friendships and celebrating milestones. She quite possibly broke the 1,000 cake-and-cupcake barrier baking goodies for school events, holidays, and birthdays. Her apple pies were sniffed out and scarfed down before they even hit the dessert table at Old Saint Paul’s annual turkey dinner. She could sail and water ski and ice skate. She could drive a stick while smoking Old Golds, and if she flubbed a shift, she’d laugh and exclaim, “Grind me a pound while you’re at it!” She could wear a dress well while puffing a stale cigar. She might kiss her Saint Bernard “Lumpy” or her Chesapeake Bay Retriever “Bess.” The beach beckoned during her life, and she returned routinely to visit friends and family at the Jersey Shore, sitting in the sun and drinking beer. She would visit the Caribbean with one sister-in-law and visit the wild West with her other sister-in-law. She saw Europe and Hawaii and achieved a childhood dream of seeing Alaska. But she also loved the natural beauty of home: The birds and butterflies in her garden of exotics and native flowers alike. Knitting and needlepointing, cooking, and trying new recipes were more than hobbies. Raising her children and doting on her grandchildren were more than passions. She volunteered at the Red Cross, and forged new bonds late in life with her fellow dialysis patients. She was born Stephanie Ellen Olek to John and Ellen Olek in Philadelphia on February 21, 1942, and grew up in Jenkintown, PA. She embraced her heritage and proudly professed she was half-Polish. She knew a few words and phrases. Her father called her “Princess.” She was preceded in death by her parents and her sister, Judith. She is survived by her “little brother,” Tony Olek; her son, Jamie Buckley; her son, John Buckley and his wife, Tara; her daughter, Kathryn Kaiser and her husband Cris; and two grandchildren, Stephanie and Eddie Kaiser. Her marriage to J. Taylor Buckley ended in divorce. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that you contribute to your favorite charity or to the Kent & Queen Anne’s Rescue Squad at 140 Morgnec Rd, Chestertown, MD 21620. Or simply hug someone. A graveside service at West Laurel Hill Cemetery in Philadelphia will be private.

Stephanie Ellen Buckley

February 21, 1942 - March 1, 2023