By Joan Nelson
The Scene staff
John Buckingham’s worst moment as a Forest Park police officer was when a student collapsed and died of a heart attack.
“I was the last person to speak with him,” Buckingham said. “I did CPR, but nothing could be done. I feel bad about not being able to save him. He had a massive heart attack, and it was in the Lord’s hands.”
Buckingham, 68, of Alton, Ill., retired last month after 31 years with campus police.
“I just felt like it was time for me to retire before my age became a problem,” he said.
Buckingham will be sorely missed, according to co-workers. Police dispatcher Roy Horton called him a “people person.”
“Buckingham is one you’d like to meet,” said Horton, 55, who has known him for 24 years. “He’s also knowledgeable about his position as a campus police officer.”
Lt. Mark Williams, 51, described Buckingham as a professional who “goes by the rules of the book.”
“Buckingham is a good guy,” he said. “He’s dependable and takes his job very seriously. He treats people the way he wants to be treated, and he’s helpful.”
Over the years, Williams discovered that Buckingham has another skill besides policing that he uses to help others.
“Buckingham is also an auto mechanic who didn’t mind helping students on the parking lot repair their cars,” Williams said.
Buckingham grew up in North St Louis. His mother was a teacher, and his father was a laborer. He served in the Marines from 1964 to 1966, during the Vietnam War.
“I didn’t join the Marines,” he said. “I was drafted. I had no other choice.”
Buckingham was hired by the St. Louis Police Department in 1969 and graduated from police academy the following year. He left the force in 1978 due to an eye injury sustained while in the military.
Buckingham then worked as a tire repairman for a year with no benefits. A co-worker encouraged him to apply for a job as a Forest Park police officer, but the college had no openings at the time.
Buckingham joined the campus housekeeping staff in 1981.
“I (did it) because of the benefits,” he said.
Buckingham moved to the campus police department a year later. He earned his associate’s degree in Criminal Justice and Corrections to meet its requirements.
His early uniform included a blazer with an insignia on the pocket, which he loved. He also wore plain clothes when investigating drug deals and break-ins.
“I had a chance to leave, but the (benefits) encouraged me to stay,” he said.
Buckingham considers dealing with angry and belligerent people to be one of the biggest challenges of police work.
“The reward of this job is that most people in the (college) environment are intelligent and focused on getting their education or to educate people,” he said.
Buckingham never had to shoot anyone during his career as a police officer.
The highlight of his time at Forest Park was meeting his wife, Minnie Smith Buckingham, a surgical technology instructor. They got married in 2002, when John Buckingham was 57.
Buckingham has a son by his first wife, who died of cancer after 15 months of marriage.
Outside of work, Buckingham enjoys reading, watching movies, exercising and traveling.
“At this point, I’m undecided on what I will do in my retirement,” he said. “I may go back to work. I’ve had a blessed life.”
Minnie Smith Buckingham describes her husband as a “laid-back” man who reads his Bible daily, goes to church on Sundays and loves to spend time with his three grandsons.
“He’s not a verbal person like me,” she said. “He goes to the gym every other day, and (he) practices his religious faith. I have a flower garden that John doesn’t mind watering for me.
“We also do some traveling together. We’ve gone to Washington, D.C., Florida and New Orleans. Our next trip (will be) to Denver.”