I was saddened to hear that Bill Buckham died last week. I knew he wasn’t well but it was still a jolt to hear the news on CHEX TV. Bill was only 52.
I had the pleasure of meeting Bill Buckham, owner of Buckham Transport, over 10 years ago at a lunch in TO arranged by Bill Lee of Limpact International of Cobourg. Before lunch we met at Vault Studios in Toronto. Vault is owned and operated by Doug Paulsen the former host of the TV show Thrill of a Lifetime. He’s also one of those national voice-over guys you’ve likely heard a million times.
So, how did I end up in the Big Leagues that day? Bill Lee, who is one heck of a nice guy, is a client of my production company who thought I might find it interesting to meet Doug Paulsen. It was definitely a great pleasure to meet Doug and we’ve kept in touch over the years.
But I must say the most memorable person from that day was Mr. Buckham. I sat beside Bill during lunch which gave me a chance to get to know him a little bit. Well, I’m sure he learned more about me than I did about him. He was one of those people who had a genuine interest in others. Bill was also generous with his praise. Before we met in person, I had done an audio recording for his company’s phone system. He called me later and left me a glowing compliment about the recording. What client does that? Bill did that. He made you feel good about yourself.
One thing I did learn about Bill Buckham during that memorable lunch was that we both lost our fathers at relatively young ages. I was 15 when my dad passed away; Bill was 19 when he lost his father. Bill told me he was in University and had to put his studies on hold following his dad’s passing to run the family business – Buckham Transport. He didn’t just run the business. He guided its phenomenal growth for the past 30-plus years to become a big player in the North American transportation industry.
Bill Buckham. Big heart. Big loss.
To the Buckham family, the employees of Buckham Transport, and to Bill's friends, including Bill Lee, Doug Paulsen, David McGee, Don Powell, and countless others, my sincere condolences.