Obituary of Richard M. Bucheri
Richard Michael Bucheri passed away on May 1, 2025 surrounded by his wife of 45 years, Elaine (Kleefeld) Bucheri, and children, Nicole and Jonathan Bucheri.
Richard was born in New Britain, Connecticut on July 20, 1941 to Mickey and Rose Bucheri. He graduated from New Britain High School in 1959, where he was class treasurer, and from Boston College in 1963 with a degree in accounting. He was sometimes quiet and introverted, often quick-witted and funny, and always kind and compassionate. Described in high school as a friend to all and happy-go-lucky, “Richie was a peach."
After college, Richard worked in Public Accounting before starting a career at Aetna which lasted 35 years and included a move to Texas in 1991. He also served in the Army Reserve. At Aetna, he rose in the ranks to become an officer of the company. He spoke most fondly of his time there as the place where he fell in love with his wife, Elaine, and made many lifelong friends.
Richard was captain of his high school basketball team and played throughout all four years at Boston College. After college, he was a member of the St. Francis men's YMCA team. The local paper recognized his performance after he "shattered all existing individual YMCA scoring records for a single basketball game" with an incredible 103 points, even before the introduction of the three-point shot. After he stopped playing competitive basketball, he found a new favorite hobby in golf. Although he picked it up later in life, and took a decade-long hiatus to focus on providing for his family, it did not stand in the way of him scoring three holes-in-one over the years.
Richard appreciated the simple things in life – a burger, potato salad, Boston creme pie, watching "his Yankees", and serenading his family with Elvis songs (despite their lighthearted pleas). He loved to share kernels of wisdom with his children, which extended to blackjack strategies he picked up from many Las Vegas trips with close friends. Richard had many accomplishments, but there was nothing he was more proud of than his children.
He traveled throughout the continental United States, Alaska, Hawaii and abroad to Russia, Argentina, South Africa and numerous European countries. In his free time, he enjoyed reading non-fiction on various subjects from politics, to philosophy, to poker. Because he enjoyed sharing his knowledge and helping others, he worked for many years as a volunteer tax preparer with AARP.
Richard is predeceased by his parents, Mickey and Rose Bucheri, and his sisters, Carolyn Daigle and Marilyn Bucheri. He is survived by his wife, Elaine, his daughter, Nicole Bucheri and her partner Peter McGraw of McAllen, TX, and his son Jonathan Bucheri and his wife Meredith Palermo of Alexandria, VA, his cousins, nephews and nieces, and numerous friends.
Services will be private for the immediate family. A celebration of life is being planned for a later date. For online condolences to the family please visit www.mulryanfh.com. Memorial donations may be made to Boston College at www.bc.edu/give.