LOWVILLE – Mary Kloster Buckingham, 75, died peacefully at her home on Wednesday morning, October 19, 2016.

Born in Watertown, May 15, 1941, she grew up in Croghan with her adoptive parents, Albert and Anna Kloster.  Mary graduated in 1958 from Father Leo Memorial School in Croghan and graduated in 1959 from Albany Business College.  She worked at the Wellington Hotel in Albany until her marriage in 1960 to Bernard (Oogie) Buckingham on August 6, 1960.  Bernard worked for Niagara Mohawk and they moved to several power plants until settling on Sharp Street in Lowville, 1967, where they raised their four children:  Jeffrey (Joan), Tim (Cathy) and Chris (Sheila) Buckingham and Allyson Samsa.  They have six grandchildren, Chad and Evan of Charlotte, NC and Chloe and Jack Samsa and Lee and May Buckingham of Lowville, also surviving is her sister, Sue (John) Sawyer, brothers, Ed (Carol), and Jim (Linda) Van Dusen, sister-in-law, Mary Lou Van Dusen. She is predeceased by her brother Nelson.

Mary worked for 25 years at Lewis County General Hospital in several positions retiring as Business Office Manager and overseer of Ancillary clerks.  She retired in 1995, a year after her husband and in 1996 they took a 3 month road trip across the United States.  In 1997 they began going to Melbourne Beach, FL for 3 months in the winter.

Mary was a member on the Board of Northern Federal Credit Union and was instrumental in bringing an office to Lowville.

Later years, when her son Chris bought the building across from the Court House, now known as the 1812 house, she and husband spent many hours there helping to restore it to the event center and Bed and Breakfast that it is now.

She loved playing Mah Jong and Euchre and especially enjoying all the friends she made while playing those games.

Mary cherished her family as well as all the friends she made through the years.

There will be no calling hours. A funeral mass will be held at St. Peter's Catholic Church on Saturday, October 22nd at 1:30 P.M. with Rev. Christopher Carrara officiating, with a reception held immediately afterward at the 1812 house for family and friends of family to gather.

Memorials in Mary's name may be made to: Friends of Lewis County Hospice, Inc., P.O. Box 266, Lowville, NY 13367