Ralph Buckley dies, was first principal of Annandale High School

Ralph E. Buckley, the first principal of Annandale High School, died of congestive heart failure July 17 at Inova Fairfax Hospital, the Washington Post reported July 31. He was 95.

He was named principal of the brand-new school in 1954. On the school’s 50th anniversary in 2004, the school’s grand entrance hall was named in his honor. Buckley was promoted to Fairfax County assistant superintendent in 1966. After retiring in 1976, he spent 23 years as a weekend administrator at Northern Virginia Community College.

He was born in Clarke County, Va., and began teaching at Fairfax High School in 1938. He served in the Army during World War II as an anti-aircraft instructor.  A resident of Annandale, Buckley had been involved in several community organizations, including the Little River United Church of Christ, the Annandale Lions Club, and the Northern Virginia Athletic Directors, Administrators, and Coaches Association, which awards in annual scholarship in Buckley’s name. He is survived by his wife of 67 years, Edith Francisco Buckley of Annandale, and a son, Scott Buckley of Portland, Ore.