Dale Edward Buckingham passed away suddenly on Saturday November 24, 2018 from an embolism following knee surgery. Also known as “Buck” or “Chief”, he was a member of the Warrensburg community for the past 24 years. Dale was born on October 16, 1952, in Lowville, N.Y. To Fred P. and Gladys Plummer Buckingham. He attended Lowville Academy High School and played football and baseball and wrestled. Dale graduated in 1970. He was an avid outdoorsman and enjoyed hunting, fishing and driving snow mobiles. After high school, Dale attended Watertown Community College in Watertown, N.Y., before enlisting in the United States Air Force in 1971. He was stationed at at Incirlick Air Base, Adana, Turkey in the postal unit. It was here he met his wife Christina Rockey by changing the combination on her mailbox. Chris was a weather observer in the United States Air Force. They married on November 7 civil Turkish ceremonyand November 16 religious ceremony 1974. They moved to Duluth, MN where they welcomed twin daughters Amy Christine and Bethany Jean on March 11, 1976. Amy passed away on March 14, 1976. In 1990, Dale attended the Air Force Senior NCO Academy Barksdale AFB, LA. He continued with DIA serving at the American Embassy in Ankara, Turkey in 1991. They returned stateside again in 1994 and were stationed at Whiteman AFB, MO when the base was transitioning from missiles to B-2 Bombers. He worked in various departments including instituting the First term Airmen Center FTAC at Whiteman. He was the Command Chief Master Sergeant at Whiteman during the Kosovo campaign in 1999. He served at Whiteman until his retirement in 2001. Dale continued to live and work in the Warrensburg area after retiring. He worked with the Juvenile Justice Department in Johnson County for five years. He taught for State Fair Community College, Webster University and Park Universities on base until becoming campus director for Park University at Whiteman, AFB. He is survived by his wife, Chris, Warrensburg and daughter, Bethany Lynn Buckingham Follett, Big Lake, Alaska, his mother Gladys Buckingham, Lowville, N.Y., and brothers Bruce Candi New Bremen, N.Y. and Jeff Becky Lisbon, N.Y. Sister in law’s Irena Lyon, Ruth Tom Black, Nancy Rockey and Brother in law Phil Rockey and many other relatives. He was preceded in death by his father Fred P., and daughter Amy Christine, father and mother in law, Wilbert and Barbara Rockey, brother in law Paul Rockey & Ken Rockey and sister in law Staci Rockey. There will be a memorial service in Warrensburg at Sweeney- Phillips & Holdren funeral home located at 617. N Maguire Street in Warrensburg on Friday, November 30 at 6:00 pm. The family requests in lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the family to be determined at a later date. Checks may be made payable to Christina Buckingham and can be left in care of the funeral home. He will be missed.