(Following are excerpts from an obituary) Walter W. Buckingham, 79, of Glastonbury, left this world on Oct. 24, after a short battle with a very aggressive cancer.

Walter grew up in Unadilla and Oneonta, NY, the son of late United Methodist minister Harold C. Buckingham and Dorothy Coats Buckingham. He worked on the D&H Railroad section gang in Oneonta and as a bellhop at The Otesaga Hotel in Cooperstown, NY to pay his way through college at Wesleyan University and Dickinson College. Walter began a 30 year career at Sage-Allen Department Store in Hartford, CT where he met his wife to be, Anne Campbell Buckingham, on his first day of work. Walter was the manager of the Wethersfield Sage Allen store for many years and later managed the Sage-Allen at West Farms Mall.

The Buckingham home was open to all as Walter worked as a sponsor for inmates from the state prison system, the family hosted exchange students from foreign countries, sponsored families immigrating to the USA, and housed and supported numerous friends and family in their times of need. Much of this work was done as part of the Congregational Church of South Glastonbury. Walter loved singing in the church choir, which he did for over 50 years.

Walter is survived by his wife of 54 years, Anne Campbell Buckingham; four children, Jeff (Joan), Jamie, Jonathan (Roberta), and Betsy Pitchell (Jeff); extended family, Teresita Buckingham, Vibha Buckingham, and Barbara Boutot (Jimmy), and grandchildren Leslie and Lochlan Buckingham, Colin Buckingham, Julian and Catherine Buckingham, James, Skyler, and Sofia Pitchell. He is also survived by two brothers, Robert (Thelma) of Hershey, PA and Harold (Joyce) of Bloomfield, CT, and numerous nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his sister, Barbara (Roger) Williams of Glastonbury.