Robert L. "Bucky" Brookshier, Jr.

Robert L. “Bucky” Brookshier, Jr. passed away peacefully Sunday morning surrounded by his loving family. Born in Albany, Georgia, he graduated from Central High School (Bushy Park, London England) in 1961 and from the Cincinnati College of Mortuary Science in 1962. Bucky’s memorial service will be at 2 PM on Friday, November 21,2025 at Kimbrell-Stern. The Rev. Phil Streetman and the Rev. Chuck Knight will officiate. The family will receive friends prior to the service at Kimbrell-Stern beginning at 1 PM. For nearly four decades, Bucky dedicated his life to serving families in their darkest hours. He began his career at Kimbrell-Stern Funeral Directors in Albany in September 1965, becoming part-owner in 1980 and continuing until his retirement in 2003. His steady hand and compassionate heart guided countless families through grief. As Dougherty County Coroner (serving 1972–1976 and again from 1980–2000), Bucky faced one of the most difficult chapters in Albany’s history: the Flood of 1994. With courage and determination, he led the solemn recovery of 487 bodies from the flooded Riverside and Oakview Cemeteries. Working tirelessly alongside the GBI, FBI, and DMORT, he successfully made positive identifications for more than 300 individuals, bringing closure to hundreds of heartbroken families during an unimaginable tragedy. A man of deep faith, Bucky was a former member of Porterfield Memorial United Methodist Church (Key Sunday School Class) and Lake Blackshear Baptist Church in Crisp County, where he lived from 2001 to 2018. In recent years, he and his wife, Ruby, attended Celebration Church in Hoschton, Georgia since making their home in Northeast Georgia in 2021. Bucky was active in his community, having been a member of the Exchange Club of Albany and a devoted Mason—belonging to Albany Lodge #24 F&AM, the Scottish Rite, and Hasan Shrine Temple. To know Bucky was to love him. He never met a stranger and couldn’t walk into a room—or a store, a restaurant, or even a gas station—without seeing a familiar face or quickly making a new friend. His warm smile, quick wit, and genuine interest in people made him one of the most recognized and beloved figures in Southwest Georgia. He was truly a great man whose kindness and larger-than-life personality touched thousands of lives and left an indelible mark on everyone fortunate enough to cross his path. He is survived by his devoted wife of many years, Ruby Moore Brookshier of Nashville, GA; two children, Robin L. Brookshier (Ginger Whitley) of Aurora, CO, and Robert L. “Rob” Brookshier, III (Moriah) of Omaha, NE; two stepchildren, Felicia G. Raughton (Mark) of Flowery Branch, GA, and Pam G. Richter (Greg) of Albany, GA; four grandchildren, Kelsey R. Reed (Matt) of Albany, GA, Christian B. McCorvey (Corrine) of Jacksonville, FL, Madison M. Hulett (Caleb) of Cordele, GA, and Ezra M. Brookshier of Omaha, NE; two great-grandchildren, Kennedy K. Reed of Albany, GA, and William G. Hulett of Cordele, GA; and two sisters, Kathy Dohse (Del) of Spotsylvania, VA, and Barbara Hicks (David) of Albany, GA. Bucky will be remembered for his quiet strength, his unwavering sense of duty, the gentle kindness he showed to everyone he met, and the countless friendships he built along the way. He leaves behind a legacy of service and love that will live on in the hearts of all who knew him.

Robert L. "Bucky" Brookshier, Jr.

July 19, 1942 - November 16, 2025