Rocky was born in Winnipeg, predeceased by his parents Ed and Marie (Dion) Buckmaster.  Left to mourn his memory are: his wife Jacquie; his children: Shannon Kimpel, Clint (Jen), and Ryan (Tina); grandchildren Hunter and Jade; his sister Linda; as well as extended family and friends.

 

He spoke of fond memories of his childhood years spent at his uncle's cabin in Lac du Bonnet with his dad, eating garlic! In later years he continued his passion for camping at Wallace Lake. He liked to take his camaro-style boat on the lake or river for water skiing. He enjoyed canoeing and portaging with his friend Rob and son Ryan.

 

In his younger years Rocky forged loyal friendships, some lasting many decades.

 

Having lost both his parents in the same year in his early 20s, he took on the care of and provided for his little sister, his new wife and her two children, Shannon and Clint, who he grew to love as his own. Taking responsibility for loved ones was very important to Rocky. He had a tough life, but he came through for his children and loved spending time with them. He loved his children enough to give them the space they needed to grow up, each in his and her own time, in their own way. He was so proud of them, and was happy to see his sister Linda succeed in her chosen profession of nursing.

 

Starting in his youth he would often cycle from one end of the city to the other to get to work. He worked for Winnipeg Transit and retired after 34 years of service. Then in 1992 Rocky found himself on his own and bought himself a house. It was at this time, while driving the bus, that he met Jacquie, the love of his life, and quickly became hers.

 

Rocky bought a house in St. Vital which he and Jacquie spent years renovating together. Together they began to travel to foreign tropical paradises:  Mazatlan (with Ryan), Costa Rica, Cancun. Rocky was always up for an adventure and had the travel bug. If we encountered something iffy in our travels, Rocky would say playfully, “I skeered!” or “It’s and adventure!” They explored life together.

 

Rocky worked in the window business for many years, where he became well acquainted with and admired by his many customers.

 

Rocky’s love of cuisine and culinary arts had their beginnings in his very early years. He loved to be in the kitchen helping his mom bake cookies at an early age. A passion for cooking continued throughout his lifetime. Many family gatherings were graced by his amazing food. He could talk to anybody and everybody for hours about how to cook things, spices, etc. Rocky was also a cook at the Assiniboine Conservatory for several years.

 

Evenings at Leo and Sylvia’s were filled with fantastic dinners and nights of games and laughter, which made Rocky feel like part of the family. Rocky and Jacquie also hosted holiday dinners themselves, with games. He was a foodie, to which Jacquie would joke that she was a Food Network widow, not a hockey widow.  He loved trying foods from other nationalities. Rocky loved to listen to Jacquie and her sister Monica sing and play the keyboard, and was occasionally baffled by their crazy laughter.

 

Rocky loved campfires at Birdshill Park; long walks along the trails with his girl, Jacquie; gazing at the stars; downhill skiing; boating.

 

Rocky was unique and kind and well-liked by everyone. He had a great sense of humour and made us all laugh a lot.

 

A special thanks to Dr. Inglis, Dr. Marcus Blouw, and the compassionate ICU staff and nurses Naomi and Sarah, and Surgical Day Care staff at the Grace Hospital for caring for our Rocky. We were blessed to have you on his team!

 

A private celebration of Rocky's life will be held. For those unable to attend the service, a video recording of the program will be posted here, on this page, shortly after the service.

 

The family encourages the sharing of stories, memories and condolences by using the comment section on this tribute page. As well, there will also be a physical memory box at the service.

 

From Jacquie:  Oh my Rocky, you were so precious to me, and I will never forget you. You were warm, loving, forgiving, loyal and so good-natured. It was an honour and a privilege to care for you. There will never be anyone quite like you in my life. I will miss you terribly - I already do! I love you, my "Bijou."