Chester C. “Chet” Buck, beloved husband, father, and grandfather, went to his Heavenly Father on December 19, 2015 in Lady Lake, Florida at the age of 89. Chet was preceded in death by his parents, Amos and Isabel Buck, and is survived by his loving wife, Mary H. (née Hackett); children, Sandy (Greg) Pike, Chagrin Falls, OH; Jim (Kelly), Crofton, MD; Cynthia (Rod) Shoaff, Lakeland, FL; Don (Regina), Heidelberg, Germany; Alan (Lenore), Weymouth, MA; Ron (Elizabeth), New York, NY; and Richard (Thorie), Mashpee, MA; and grandchildren Peter, Greg, Jr., Libby, Melissa, Jillian, Graham, Tom, Maggie, Caitlin, Shannon, Lia, Tristan, Sam, Ava, and Kai, and many nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by siblings Amos, Aldana Bond, Milton, Erline Dunn, and Herbert. Chet was born on Oct. 3, 1926 in Bradley, Maine. He graduated from Higgins Classical Institute (1944), Massachusetts State, and the University of Maine with a bachelor’s degree in 1951, and earned two masters’ degrees in Education from Bridgewater State College. He married Mary Hackett, the love of his life, in 1953. Moving to Barnstable, MA in 1959, Chet became a beloved history teacher and guidance counselor at Barnstable High School. He summered as a Marine Police Officer, and after retirement from Barnstable, was a member of the security detail at Oyster Harbors for 21 years. Chet and Mary raised seven wonderful children and had fifteen fantastic grandchildren who remember “Trapper” as a loving, dedicated, motivational, and multitalented father and grandfather. Chet’s loving guidance and belief in the importance of education provided strong encouragement to his family. It was one of Chet and Mary’s proudest accomplishments to have had all seven children earn their bachelors’ degrees or higher. Chet joined the U.S. Army Air Corps in 1944, where he rose to the rank of staff sergeant. In WWII he served in the European Theater, stationed in both Italy and Germany while a member of the Fifteenth Air Force. Chet enjoyed his family and friends, Cape Cod, The Villages, and Maine – especially his camp at the Summit, golfing, boating, scuba diving for lobsters, and reading, as well as big band and classical music. A member of many clubs, he enjoyed making new friends and exchanging stories. He was extremely pleased to have traveled to much of the world and to have enjoyed so many different people and experiences, and he often remarked that he’d been incredibly fortunate to have lived a full and wonderful life. Chet will always be fondly remembered for his devotion to his family and friends, his storytelling, and his love of the outdoors. He achieved much success both personally and professionally. His integrity, unique sense of humor, friendly nature, and dedication to his family and friends earned him the respect and friendship of many. He will be greatly missed by his family and by all who knew him. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Monday, January 4, 2016 at 8:30 a.m. at St. Timothy’s Catholic Church, in The Villages, Florida. All are welcome to attend and celebrate Chet’s life. A memorial service, to be announced later, will be held in Hyannis, MA in Spring 2016. His interment will be at the Bourne Veterans Cemetery in Bourne, MA. In lieu of flowers, please send donations to the Disabled American Veterans at www.dav.org.

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