PETERBOROUGH, Ont. -- He was a family man, an adventurer and a well-respected friend of the Ontario trucking industry. And last Wednesday, he passed away at just 52, after a yearlong battle with cancer.

As a young man of 19, Bill Buckham left university to take the reins of his father’s truck fleet business and proceeded to grow Buckham Transport into a thriving bulk haulage carrier, with a side specialty in waste management.

Buckham leaves his wife Catherine, sons Jason and William and twin daughters Natalie and Jessica.

He also leaves behind a stellar reputation as a neighbor, adventurer and supporter of charitable causes.

Buckham, who served on the board of the Ontario Trucking Association (OTA), was born in the village of Bailieboro, Ont., and raised in Peterborough.

When Buckham was at the University of Western Ontario, his father, who had started the business in 1948, passed away, so young Bill left school to take over, according to an obit in the Peterborough Examiner.

As the company grew, so did its mandate and now, a significant part of Buckham’s operation involves waste management, environmental consulting and hazardous waste materials.

An example of the company's metamorphosis: Buckham owns and operates an 18,000-sq-ft transfer station where highly trained personnel transfer and process almost all types of waste streams.

Visitation will take place on Thursday, Feb. 11 and Friday, Feb.12 at the Comstock Funeral Home in Peterborough.

The funeral will be held Saturday, Feb. 13 at St. Andrews Church, followed by a reception at the
Peterborough Golf Club. Condolences can be sent to:

Catherine Buckham, 1660 Mount Pleasant Rd. Cavan, Ont. L0A 1C0 (cavanlea@nexicom.net).