Josephine Elizabeth Buckley, MSFS, MAT

Chemist III (Biology and Serology)

Vermont Forensic Lab (VFL)

October 10, 1989 - November 22, 2023

There is no way in a few pages to do JoBeth (JB) justice – or to provide a full sense of the magnitude of her loss to this world – to her family, friends and coworkers. She was that dynamic and special; but these are some of the highlights and a glimpse into the kind of human being JoBeth was.

JoBeth was born on October 10th in the early morning – the only child of Robert and Pamela Buckley, two very weary but awestruck parents. She came out wailing and with a spiked hairdo but immediately quieted when she was laid in her father's arms and heard his familiar voice. For Pops, as she fondly called him, life was changed forever! She was named Josephine Elizabeth in honor of her maternal great grandmother Charlotte Josephine Reed and her father's sister Elizabeth who died from leukemia at the age of 10. JoBeth grew up and attended school in Berkley, Michigan where she made several lifelong friends in Les, Tay and Brooke with whom she remained close. She held a very special place in the hearts of her aunts and uncles and as the only grandchild on either side of the family for many years, JoBeth developed close relationships with her Ama & Grandpapa Heinrichs, Mimi & Grandpa Buckley and Tutu Heinrichs… all of whom were very dear to her. And while she was separated by many years from her cousins, she cared for them deeply and always inquired after them.

JoBeth's passions were her family, friends, science and soccer. She had a smile that could light up a room and a dry – sarcastic sense of humor that kept us all in stiches. She was a voracious learner. JoBeth was a dedicated and disciplined young woman with a clear understanding of who she was, of her values and her gifts, of her strengths and weaknesses. JoBeth was a most caring, compassionate and thoughtful individual and a true and loyal friend. She was an ethical person who lived and played by the rules, who believed in facts, sought truth and was engaged in making the world a better place.

JoBeth was a fierce competitor - strong physically, mentally and spiritually. She was disciplined and persevered in the face of adversity. She was the master of her own destiny, and never played the victim. I never knew her to give up or back down. She had a brilliant, innovative and creative mind that was solutions based… the quintessential "Can Do Woman." Early on, with sheer determination, she adapted to the challenges of ADHD to graduate near the top of her class from Berkley High, earning academic scholarships amounting to an estimated 75% of her college education and achieving 3.64, 3.96 and 3.976 GPAs respectively in her undergrad, Master of Arts in Teaching and Master of Science in Forensic Science programs.

In the years after college, JoBeth explored various paths seeking to define what a successful and meaningful life would look like. Following graduation, JoBeth served Earlham College in the capacities of Assistant to the President, Program Assistant for the New Zealand Study Abroad Program and after obtaining her Masters of Arts in Teaching went on to become Assistant Director for Undergraduate Admissions and the Masters of Arts in Teaching Program. During this time JoBeth continued to pursue science taking professor and mentor Peter Blair's ultimately challenging parasitology identification project just for FUN! So, it came as little surprise when, in 2019, that quest led her back to her true passion and ultimate calling – forensics… a dream rooted in her childhood. JoBeth entered Arcadia University's Master of Science in Forensics Program and ultimately in May of 2021 accepted a position with the Vermont Forensic Lab (VFL) in Waterbury, VT – which was the culmination of that journey.

Due in part to her graduate research presented at the AAFS Conference in 2021, " The Generation of a Universal Protocol Dataset to Validate Probabilistic Genotyping Software for Uniformity Between Laboratories ," JoBeth had been of particular interest to the VFL. She loved her work at the lab and evolved into a highly diverse, respected, treasured and indispensable member of the VFL team. Following her death, the heads of every department remarked on JoBeth's passion and enthusiasm – that she was always happy to take on added work and responsibility. They emphasized the thoroughness and exceptional attention to detail of her work. Everyone from the custodian to the Director of the Lab shared their experiences of JoBeth with us. She made everyone feel important – appreciated and had found common ground with each of them. JB was not just a respected and trusted colleague… she was a beloved friend.

JB mentored students of forensics and reveled in leading affiliated groups such as nurses on tours of the lab to help them better understand the importance of their role in the collection and preservation of evidence. She was a substitute teacher for her boss's class at the University of Vermont and assisted another colleague with teaching strategies for her classes. She inspired students at Burlington Technical School's Criminal Justice Program to pursue forensics. JB was totally dedicated to the mission of the VFL in service of the citizens of Vermont. Joy Mapp, the Director of the DNA Dept. at the lab shared that while she may be able to fill JoBeth's position, JB was "irreplaceable" to the VFL team.

JoBeth had a strong sense of social responsibility. She was a giver and not a taker and much of her time from a young age was spent in service to others. She regularly assisted in providing meals, clothing and tutoring for the homeless at St. Christopher's House and South Oakland Shelter near our home in Michigan. Throughout her life JoBeth gave of her energy, creativity and resources to a variety of peace and social justice initiatives related to racial equality, women's and LGBTQ rights, global warming, food and water insecurity. Once in college, when asked what she wanted for Christmases and birthdays, JoBeth requested family give instead to her favorite non-profits like The Innocence Project, Doctors Without Borders, The Nature Conservancy and Water: Aid - to name a few.

JoBeth had diverse interests and abilities and she excelled at sports. She was a scrappy point guard, and could throw a frozen rope from left field to first base. As a youth she excelled at Kung Fu which formed the foundation of the drive, determination and self-discipline which powered everything she dedicated herself to. She was skilled at portaging canoes, kayaking and whitewater rafting. On her own she backpacked many of the Great Walks of New Zealand (her 'happy place') as well as sections of the Rockies in Glacier National Park and the Green, White and Appalachian Mountains. JoBeth also had a beautiful alto voice and sang with an acappella group invited to perform on stage at Carnegie Hall. She was a Power Point wizard and a gifted photographer, writer and poet.

But soccer was her first passion which she played from the age of five through varsity in college and her sisters on the pitch at Earlham became JoBeth's closest and dearest friends. While she had good skills - JoBeth was never the best player; but it was hard to find one who trained harder or was more determined or dedicated to her team. In high school, even though there were more popular and talented players in the starting lineup; her teammates chose JoBeth for their co-captain and MVP. Her love of the game and for her team also earned her the coach's awards in both high school and college for her leadership and having such 'heart' for her team.

JoBeth was a natural teacher, leader and coach. The seeds of this amazing gift were sown in Sifu Brown's Wushu Kung Fu class where JoBeth served as a role model for the younger group when he divided his veteran youth class into two sections. Then, in high school, she was her dad's assistant coach in Berkley Hoops, a community youth basketball program for several years. This year Berkley Hoops dedicated the 2024 Elementary Girls' Season to JoBeth and honored her by putting a heart with JB on all the teams' jerseys. JB taught and coached in the Horizons Upward Bound Program for gifted low-income students. She served as a tutor in high school and as a teaching assistant in college and spent many a long night helping friends with their more difficult science assignments. She also obtained and maintained her Wilderness First Responder and CPR certifications which she utilized to manage several emergency situations during the decade prior to her death. Inspired by her mentor and college coach Jocelyn Keller, JoBeth worked for two years as an assistant coach for the Richmond Indiana High Girls Varsity Soccer Team helping to lead them to the 2016 Hoosier Cup Championship. And, for two seasons following graduation JoBeth volunteered as an assistant coach for the Earlham College Women's Soccer Team. During that time, she anonymously gifted two team sideline bench shelters to her beloved soccer program to provide teams cover from the weather during games. The teams JoBeth played for and helped coach would become the most successful women's soccer teams in Earlham's history.

JoBeth was tolerant, compassionate and respectful of the feelings and points of views of others – a good listener and bridge builder with the courage to reach out and dialogue with others on many of the critical socio-political topics that divide us and that people tend to avoid. Since her passing many of those reaching out to us have shared that JoBeth was not just a joy to be around or a respected coworker… but that she'd had a great impact on their lives.

One such individual, a good friend and teammate of JoBeth's from college, said coming from a conservative background that, early on, she'd had difficulty fitting in at Earlham – a small Quaker college with a progressive socio-political world view. She'd never been exposed to the perspectives and diverse cultures that were common at Earlham and, at first, felt people avoided such discussions with her. But JoBeth bonded with her – exploring her thoughts and accepting her beliefs without judgement. Theirs became a lasting friendship and on the day JoBeth died, Meg shared, "JoBeth was more than my best friend. She has literally changed my life and helped open my eyes to many things. I am a better person and my life is richer and fuller for having known her and been loved by her… I feel lost without her."

JoBeth was killed on Nov. 22, 2023 on her way to work, the victim of a tragic car accident. We will forever mourn her loss. Her Celebration of Life will be held Sat. Aug. 3, 2024 at The Kingsley Inn, in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. Information is available at https://jobethbuckleyacelebration.rsvpify.com

We also invite you to visit JoBeth's Linked-In page, where you can get an idea of the breadth of her credentials, awards and achievements at LinkedIn Josephine Buckley Her most recent credential – Associate Member of the American Academy of Forensic Scientists – was awarded in February 2024.