Robert D. Buckland ’72 died on August 6, 2025, in Milton, Massachusetts.
(The following was provided by Dolan Funeral Homes and Cremation Services – Dorchester Lower Mills in August 11, 2025:)
Robert (Bob) Dix Buckland, MD ’72
Robert (Bob) Dix Buckland, MD, of Milton, MA, passed away suddenly with his wife by his side on August 6, 2025, at the age of 75.
Born on July 21, 1950, in Swampscott, MA, Bob was the son of the late Constance Nutter Buckland and Charles Fox Buckland. He enjoyed a treasured childhood alongside his siblings Charlie and Betsy, and became an early fan of Boston sports, especially the Red Sox and Bruins. Bob played hockey, participated in Massachusetts Boys State, and graduated from Swampscott High School in 1968.
Bob went on to Bowdoin College (Class of 1972), where his intellectual and extracurricular pursuits flourished. He studied biochemistry and enjoyed the varied courses a liberal arts education provides. He found camaraderie and friendship in the Chi Psi fraternity and great joy in announcing for the college’s sports teams. His affection for Bowdoin – and its enduring commitment to the common good – was shared by his two daughters, who later became alumni themselves.
After graduating from Bowdoin, Bob attended the University of Rochester School of Medicine (Class of 1976). The education he received at Rochester nurtured his passion for caring for the whole human being: mind, body, and soul. He completed a psychiatric residency at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center and fellowships at University of California San Diego and Boston University. While at Dartmouth-Hitchcock, Bob met his future wife, Anne-Marie Barron of Quincy, MA. Brought together by a shared love for caring for patients and deep focus on the importance of spirituality, the two were married on December 26, 1981, at Boston College. In 1982, they made Milton their permanent home, where they enjoyed forty-three years of cherished marriage and were blessed with three beautiful children. Being a devoted husband and father was the greatest joy of Bob’s life. He was deeply loving, fiercely supportive, and immensely proud of each of his three children and his wife.
Bob practiced as a dedicated psychiatrist for almost fifty years, with a particular passion for caring for people with persistent and severe mental illness. He faithfully served patients at Boston Medical Center, Solomon Carter Fuller Mental Health Center, Fallon Community Healthcare, Riverside Community Care, Tewksbury State Hospital, and Taunton State Hospital, among others. A true teacher at heart, Bob imparted his wisdom to the next generation of psychiatrists as a faculty member at Boston University Medical School. Countless colleagues note how Bob’s thoughtful expertise and gentle manner brought relief to so many experiencing suffering.
Beyond his devotion to work and family, Bob embraced a rich array of passions. A proud
attendee of the Woodstock Music Festival in 1969, he carried a deep love of music throughout his life, finding joy in listening to, sharing, and making music with family and friends. Bob also felt a strong sense of civic responsibility and supported a variety of progressive causes. He was an avid learner and immersed himself in the works of diverse thinkers, continually seeking to weave their wisdom into his life and work. His curiosity and openness extended to spirituality in all its forms, with a particular affinity for Ken Wilber’s Integral Buddhism. This love of spiritual exploration was rooted in the religious tradition he deeply valued – Unitarian Universalism. A third-generation and lifelong UU, Bob was raised as a member of the UU Church of Greater Lynn and, as an adult, found his spiritual home at First Parish Milton.
Bob was a steadfast steward of his parents’ retirement homestead in Brookfield, NH, where the family enjoyed many stunning sunsets, views of the White Mountains, mirthful meals, and storytelling.
Bob will be deeply missed by his beloved wife, Anne-Marie Barron, and their three children: Greg Buckland and his wife, Hilary Allen, of Roslindale, MA; Katy Buckland and her husband, Nick Baer, of Roslindale, MA; and Christine Buckland and her fiancé, Rory MacNeil, of Pawtucket, RI.
He was the devoted “Grandpa Bob” to three grandsons: Cody and Owen Buckland, and Luke Baer. Bob was brother to the late Charles Francis Buckland and is survived by his sister, Betsy Buckland, and her husband, Rick Plasmati, of Foxboro, MA, and his sister-in-law, Dixie Buckland of Walpole, MA. Bob is also survived by many treasured cousins, nieces, nephews, and friends.