T. Garry Buckley

Thomas Garry Buckley (September 13, 1922 – May 23, 2012) was the 73rd Lieutenant Governor of Vermont.

T. Garry Buckley
73rd Lieutenant Governor of Vermont
In office
January 6, 1977 – January 10, 1979
GovernorRichard Snelling
Preceded byBrian D. Burns
Succeeded byMadeleine M. Kunin
Member of the Vermont State Senate
In office
1955-1959
1969-1975
Personal details
BornSeptember 13, 1922
Albany, New York
DiedMay 23, 2012 (2012-05-24) (aged 89)
Stowe, Vermont
Political partyRepublican
Spouse(s)Frances Kingsbury Littlefield (m. 1945)
ProfessionReal estate broker
Insurance agent
Military service
Branch/serviceUnited States Army Air Forces
Years of service1942–1945
RankSecond Lieutenant

Early life and education

T. Garry Buckley was born in Albany, New York on September 13, 1922, the son of Christopher and Margaret Garry Buckley. His father owned several movie theaters in the Albany area, and moved to Bennington in 1937, where he owned and operated the General Stark Theater. Buckley was educated at The Albany Academy, Bennington's high school, the Cranwell Preparatory School and Brown University. He left college to enlist for military service.[1]

Military service

Buckley served in the United States Army Air Forces during World War II, piloting troop carriers and gliders, and serving as an instructor pilot.[2]

Business career

After the war Buckley resided in Bennington and Dorset and was a real estate broker and insurance agent.[3]

Political career

A Republican, Buckley was elected to various local offices, including member of the Bennington County Planning Commission, Old Bennington village trustee, member of the village Highway Commission, and town selectman. Buckley was a member of the board of directors of the Bennington County Industrial Corporation and a trustee of the Bennington Museum.

He served in the Vermont State Senate from 1955 to 1959, and 1969 to 1975.[4]

Lieutenant Governor of Vermont

Buckley was elected lieutenant governor in 1976. He finished second in the popular vote to John T. Alden:

John T. Alden, Democrat: 82,632, 48.4%
T. Garry Buckley, Republican: 81,471, 47.6%
John L. Franco, Liberty Union 6,778, 4.0%

Since no candidate received a majority, the Vermont General Assembly was empowered to choose a winner. The Republican controlled assembly chose Buckley.[5] With 90 votes required for election the results were:

T. Garry Buckley, 90
John T. Alden, 87
John L. Franco, 1[6]

In other such elections, the assembly has usually voted for the candidate who had the most popular votes. In the Alden-Buckley-Franco election, it later came to light that during the election Alden, an insurance agent, was being investigated for fraud. This was not known publicly, but some legislators were likely aware, and this probably contributed to Buckley's victory. In 1978 Alden was convicted of diverting his clients' premium payments to his own use.[7]

Buckley was defeated in the 1978 Republican primary for reelection by Peter P. Smith.[8] In 1980 he lost a bid for the Republican U.S. Senate nomination.[9] He retired and moved from Vermont to Vero Beach, Florida.[10]

Death

Buckley died on May 23, 2012 in Stowe, Vermont at the age of 89.[11][12] He was buried at Old Bennington Cemetery in Bennington.

Family

Buckley married Frances Kingsbury Littlefield in 1945. They were the parents of five children, four sons and one daughter. For many years Buckley and his family resided in the home that had originally been built by Isaac Tichenor in the late 1700s.

After the death of his first wife, Buckley was married successively to Barbara Morgan, Patricia Mann, and Hesterley Black.

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References
  1. Vermont Secretary of State, Vermont Legislative Directory and State Manual, 1977-1978, 1977, page 198
  2. National Conference of Lieutenant Governors, Biographical Sketches and Portraits, 1976, page 1992
  3. Bennington Banner, Obituary, T. Garry Buckley, May 25, 2012
  4. Neal P. Goswami (May 24, 2012). "T. Garry Buckley remembered". Bennington Banner. Retrieved May 25, 2012.
  5. "Second-Place Finisher Becomes Vermont Lieutenant Governor". The New York Times. January 10, 1977. Retrieved 13 May 2011.
  6. Vermont Secretary of State, Election results: 1976 Lieutenant Governor, 2006, page 1
  7. Times Argus, T. Garry Buckley, May 27, 2012
  8. Election History, T. Garry Buckley. Vermont Secretary of State
  9. Election History, T. Garry Buckley. Vermont Secretary of State
  10. New York Times, Obituary, Christopher H. Buckley, July 13, 1997
  11. "Former Vt. Lt. Gov. Buckley dies". WCAX-TV. May 23, 2012. Archived from the original on May 25, 2012. Retrieved May 24, 2012.
  12. Stowe Reporter, Former Lieutenant Governor Dies in Stowe, May 31, 2012
Political offices
Preceded by
Brian D. Burns		 Lieutenant Governor of Vermont
1977–1979		 Succeeded by
Madeleine M. Kunin
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