William Harold Buckingham,76, made his unexpected exit from this world after complications from a surgical "tune up" on Saturday, November 4, 2023. Bill was the firstborn of Lorraine (Lemay) and Frederick Buckingham. Some of his siblings say he was the favorite child, and there is no doubt he was doted on by his large extended family, which included many aunts, uncles, and cousins. Then his four brothers and two sisters arrived and he became the big brother with all the answers.

Bill was a self-proclaimed philosopher and expert on most things. Although he was usually right, he could convince others that he knew what he was talking about, even when he didn't! Bill grew up in Mexico, Maine and attended St. Theresa's Catholic School where he both caused mischief and melted the hearts of various nuns. He then attended Mexico High School where he made his mark on the football field, track and cross-country fields, and in English class. He was proud of his hometown and the lifelong friends he made there.

Bill decided to sabotage his college career at Plymouth State College by growing his hair too long for his father's liking. Rather than cut his hair in exchange for tuition payment, Bill enlisted and became a Sergeant in the United States Air Force and ended up with a buzz cut anyway. After marrying his former wife and high school sweetheart Gloria (Radcliff) Vaznis, Bill was stationed in Hawaii and faithfully guarded the pineapples and beaches from foreign and domestic terrors.

After his first son, Christopher, was born and his service ended, Bill returned and settled his family back in Maine and a few years later, daughter Lynn was born. Bill was extremely proud of his children, including his step-son, Ryan Delorme, who joined the family when Bill relocated to Vermont and met and married the love of his life, Sarah Elizabeth "Beth" (Delorme). Bill was smitten from the start and Beth was no match for his baby blues and charm.

Bill dabbled in several trades including mill worker and as an officer with the Mexico Police Department before working in the telecommunications industry in Maine and Vermont for most of his adult life. Bill would point out locations and regale tales of cable troubles and the heroic lengths he would go to fix them (or maybe just supervise as others fixed them). He enjoyed meeting people and made connections with everyone he met.

This led to his appointment as Chief Steward for Union IBEW 2326 and then eventually in his role as local manager for Verizon. Bill had the ability to cut to the chase and was often the voice of reason. He put people at ease and always, always made a wise-crack or joke. This past May marked thirty-seven years of sobriety for Bill. He dedicated himself to growing from his struggles and was a sponsor for countless others in local Alcoholics Anonymous programs and led programs at Maple Leaf Treatment Center.

Bill was a professional napper and could fall asleep anywhere, anytime. He pretended to be a professional golfer for many years, and a few of his best friendships were created on the golf course. In retirement he loved to golf but especially to spend time in the yard around the home he shared with Beth. They would spend hours perfecting the lawn and perennials, as well as feeding and watching the birds. Bill's full-time job was to cater to their beloved lab, Gustopher Butter Reginald Buckingham. The dog had the most loving companion and pampered life.

One of the greatest joys in his life was visiting with family in Maine. He was the lead entertainment at Lemay Reunions, along with his sidekick, brother Mike. Each year, he and his brothers, uncles, son, grandsons, cousins and adopted brothers would travel to special spots deep in the Maine woods to fly fish, eat, laugh, fart and tell stories…all favorites of Bill.

He is survived by his wife Sarah Elizabeth Buckingham of Milton, VT, their son Ryan Delorme, of Burlington, VT, his son, Christopher Buckingham and his wife Jill of St. Johnsbury, VT, daughter Lynn and husband Alec Newell of Bethel, ME, grandchildren Nolan, Dane and Ella Buckingham, Caroline and Emma Newell, brothers Russell Buckingham and wife Debbie of Sebring, FL, Bruce Buckingham and wife Bonnie of Mexico, ME, Michael Buckingham and wife Kathy of Litchfield, ME, Matthew Buckingham of Poland, ME, and sisters Laurie and her husband Kevin Arsenault of Berlin, NH, and Cindy and husband John Hutchinson of Carthage, ME. He is also survived by siblings-in-law Bert Delorme of Burlington, VT, Ben Delorme of Rutland, VT, Becky Delorme of Burlington, VT, Barbara and husband Frank Brunette of Burlington, VT, niece Sabriana Decker and husband Eric, with their children Bradley, Lucy and Benjamin, as well as many special cousins, nieces, nephews and friends. Bill was predeceased by his parents Frederick Perley and Lorraine Theresa (Lemay) Buckingham, and mother-in-law Angela Delorme.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at Saint Mark Roman Catholic Church, 1251 North Ave, Burlington, on Thursday, November 16th at 11:00am with burial to follow at Resurrection Park Cemetery. A reception will follow at The Elks Lodge 925 North Ave, Burlington, VT. A Celebration of Life in Maine will be held at a later date. Arrangements are in care of LaVigne Funeral & Cremation Service.

Dad's Eulogy

Good morning. My name is Lynn and I am Bill's daughter. On behalf of Beth, Chris, and Ryan, I'd like to thank you all for being here today. It is an honor to be able to share my thoughts about my father with you. You know that Dad would love that we are all here and more importantly that he is the center of attention. No matter where he went, he was the center of attention and today is no exception. As I was thinking about what I wanted to say, I stumbled upon an article describing how social media has become today's digital scrapbook. Photos and posts reflect what is important to someone. Since Dad was not on social media (thank goodness), I spent some time this week looking through the photos on his cell phone and they definitely tell what was important to him. No one here will be surprised to hear that there were many funny memes and jokes, (some inappropriate) and a zillion photos of fishing trips. Dad also had a large chunk of photos of antique cars in his phone. He was always really into cars both old and new. He said that as a child, one of his life's goals was to be able to own a "snazzy" car. Well, as you can see from his casket, we selected this one because it kinda looks like a sports car. I think he would appreciate the chrome bumpers and shiny paint job. Very slick.

Dad saved 750 photos on his phone. 80% (yes, I did the math) are of his family. We are all in there…. His kids, son and daughter-in-law, grandkids, nieces, nephews, cousins, old photos, mainly of his parents, aunts. and uncles who have passed, many friends, and of course his siblings. Oh boy, there are some doozies in there. There are a few photos of my uncles that I wish I hadn't seen and that may scar me for life, but… this shows that his biggest priority was his family.

Although we are all well represented in this digital scrapbook, the most notable chunk of photos are of his beloved wife Beth… and Gus the dog. Let's be honest, most of them are of Gus along with Beth in the picture. Beth mowing the lawn with Gus following behind the tractor, Beth watering the lawn with Gus chasing the water, Beth sitting on the couch with Gus in her lap, Beth sitting on the floor while brushing Gus's teeth. The list goes on and on.

These photos demonstrate three things. One is that Bill loved his daily life and the home that he built with Beth. Two, that he was a master at supervising others as they worked, and three, that he found joy in pretty much everything around him. If you were lucky to spend more than ten minutes with Bill, chances are he told you a story or two. He was a natural storyteller. In honor of that, I'd like to share two quick stories about my dad. He told everyone the same stories over and over, but here are two that you probably haven't heard before. The first is in his retirement years, he decided to drive for a transportation company. This entailed driving clients with physical and cognitive disabilities to and from appointments. He took great pride in this job and treated each trip as an adventure. He told me many stories about these rides but my favorite is about one young woman in particular. The first time he gave her a ride, her caregiver helped her into the van and told Dad not to expect any responses from her because she was non-verbal. Of course, Dad didn't let that stop him. He started talking to her, remarking on the weather and other things he saw during the ride. He asked her questions and then responded, "Well, I can see that you're the strong silent type," when she didn't respond. When they arrived at her destination, offered his hand to help her out, bowed and said, "Good day, ma'lady." The second time he picked her up in his van, he started in again, saying how good it was to see her and that he was sorry she was stuck with him again. During the drive he began remarking on random things and asking her questions, not skipping a beat when there was no response. Suddenly, the young woman began to moo like a cow. Dad noticed that there were several cows in a passing field, so he said, "So, you like animals, huh?" Then, not wanting her to feel left out, Dad started to moo as well. Good thing there were several farms along the route because when he pointed out a horse, she neighed, and then so did Dad. Next a dog was spotted and, you guessed it, the two of them barked like dogs. I like to picture this…Dad, driving down the road with this lady, mooing and barking in order to communicate with her. The next time he picked her up, the young woman saw Dad and started vocalizing with glee. Her caregiver was amazed and said that Dad must have made an impression on her and made her feel comfortable. He did that with everyone. He always made an impression and he always made people feel comfortable. Although Dad said he took the job to stay busy in his retirement while Beth was at work, he admitted that he really felt honored to be able to help others and try to bring a smile to their faces. He believed all people deserve dignity and love. This illustrates what kind of a man he was. He had the ability to make connections with just about anyone he met. He put people at ease and made them laugh, too. Most of you might remember that Dad had successfully beaten cancer in 2007 and when I told him of my own cancer diagnosis ten years ago, he matter of factly said, "Well, my little Lynn, I know it will be alright and I'll be there every step of the way." Well, he was right about both of those things. I am alright and he was there for me every step of the way.

This leads me to my second story. Once as I prepared for some scan or treatment where I would have to lay still for a long period of time, he told me when he had to do that very same thing, he always closed his eyes and gave thanks to God for his family. He said he would start by thinking of Beth, then Chris, Ryan, and me, our spouses and his grandchildren, his siblings, cousins, friends, neighbors, and would go down the list in his head, reflecting on us all one by one. He said it helped him relax and he would sit up afterward grateful and happy that he had so many people to love and that loved him in return. From the photos in his phone to stories like this one, his family was his world. We were his world.

Dad, I am grateful and blessed that you were my father. I loved our daily phone calls and how you'd always answer the phone the same way, with a cheerful, "Hey Babyyyyy." As you and I both grew up, we knew we could always count on each other and I know how much you love me. And how much you love us all. I will miss the part of me that only existed with you, although that love is so wrapped up in who I am that it is not really gone. As I stand here today, I wonder what you would say to all of us here? What would your words of wisdom be to us, Dad? Your great-nephew Shea is going to play us out of mass with his bagpipes. Maybe you would tell us how bagpipes give you goosebumps and always make you cry? Or perhaps when you hear them you like to imagine yourself standing on some cliff in Scotland, the wind whipping through your non-existent hair and up your kilt and pretending that in another life you were a Scottish Chieftain or a fierce warrior? Maybe you'd have been Mel Gibson's character in Braveheart (your favorite), except for the part where he dies of course. Well, maybe. Maybe you'd say that. But, luckily for me, I don't really have to guess what you'd say because many years ago you wrote down eight important life lessons that you wanted me to learn from you. I know you would want me to share this list with all of your loved ones here today.

So, without further ado, here are Bill Buckingham's parting Words of Wisdom.. Always be ready to laugh at yourself. Family comes first. Cherish your true friends. Be honorable- your reputation is your legacy. Reflect every day and realize what you have to be grateful for. Be yourself- Don't waste time playing games. Hugs are good! And last but not least, Never, ever forget to tell the important people in your life that you love them. So off to heaven you go, Dad. Please know that I love you. We all do and we know you love us. I know that one day we will all meet again and I can't wait to hear you say, "Hey Babyyyy!"