Roberta Buckley, 1969-2020

We are sad to announce that Roberta Buckley, died last week, aged 51. Roberta was the adopted daughter of DSE's founder, Professor Sue Buckley and sister of the charity's CEO, Frank Buckley.

Roberta passed away peacefully from Alzheimer's disease with Sue and her sister at her bedside.

Roberta was born with Down syndrome into a world where she faced rejection, segregation and only the bleakest of expectations. She overcame many of these obstacles to live and love with dignity and independence.

Many of our friends, colleagues and clients around the world will be familiar with some of Roberta's life stories that often feature in Sue's writing and presentations. Roberta's experiences have inspired and informed much of our work, and in so doing have helped to contribute to making the world more welcoming and inclusive for many young people born with Down syndrome today.

Funeral arrangements

Roberta's funeral will be held on Thursday 5 November at 2.15pm at St Mark's church, Natland, Cumbria followed by a private committal at Beetham Hall.

Due to current restrictions numbers are limited so please contact the family directly, or Fishwicks (details below), if you would like to attend the church service. For those who are attending please arrive at 2.00pm to allow time for signing in and to be seated.

For those who are unable to attend in person, the service will be live-streamed via the following link: https://www.facebook.com/churchofstmark

A recording of the service will be available afterwards for anyone unable to watch the live stream (details to follow).

Family flowers only please, however donations in Roberta's memory sent directly to Alzheimer's Research UK would be gratefully received. Please mention code ARUK-PG2015-23 or ARUK-SRF2018A-001 if making a donation as these are projects looking at Alzheimer's and Down Syndrome combined.

Enquiries: c/o Fishwicks Funeral Service, Beetham Hall, Beetham, Milnthorpe. LA7 7BQ. 015395 63108.