William M. 'Bill' Buckley

MONONA- Bill Buckley, age 57, passed away after a lengthy illness on Thursday, Dec. 22, 2011. He was born on Oct. 19, 1954. Bill loved life and he died as he lived, strong willed and a fighter until the very end. He had a sensitive soul, loved people for who they were and always helped people in need. He had an outrageous personality, an infectious laugh and left a lasting impression with everyone that he met. Bill had many friends with different interests, from Madison to the North woods. Bill loved boating, fishing, snowmobiling, art, music and was a huge sports fan. He loved spending time with family and friends, especially Hannah, Aaron “Chief”, and Rachel “Gypsy” Goldberg, whom he thought of as his own children. He graduated from Monona Grove High School in 1973 and was an outstanding football player (#34) and wrestler. After high school Bill started professional house painting. Bill is survived by his four sisters, Linda (Jan) Brown, Pam (Fred) Wolf, Susan (Bo) Olson and Pat (Don) Goldberg. He will be greatly missed by his best friend, John Schimming, along with many other nieces, nephews and special friends. He was preceded in death by his parents, Harold and Dorothy Buckley. A special thanks to John Schimming, Judy Nachreiner, Steve Bultman, the UW staff, Dr. James Shropshire, Jessica Rasmussen and Hospice for all their care and support. A celebration of Bill’s life will be held at GUNDERSON EAST FUNERAL HOME, 5203 Monona Drive, Madison, at 4 p.m., on Saturday, Jan. 14, 2011. Visitation will be at the funeral home from 2 p.m. until the time of service on Saturday. Memorials may be made to the family. 'I'm free as a bird now, a bird you could not change' 'And you can't always get what you want' Memorials may be made to the family. Visitation will be at the funeral home from 2 p.m. until the time of service on Saturday. A celebration of Bill’s life will be held at GUNDERSON EAST FUNERAL HOME, 5203 Monona Drive, Madison, at 4 p.m., on Saturday, Jan. 14, 2011.