A tribute to John Buckley
By Rich Vurva
Editor/Publisher, Industrial Supply magazine
John Buckley was a master at telling stories. No phone conversation ended until John told the listener at least one funny story, usually making himself the butt of the joke. Every meal was an opportunity to share an anecdote; every meeting was his stage and the other participants were his audience.
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John Buckley at an ISA board meeting in 2011 |
One of my fondest memories of John occurred about seven years ago during a face-to-face meeting we had soon after an annual ISA convention. Early in the meeting, I asked John how he felt the convention had gone, expecting a brief response. For the next 10 minutes, he gave a detailed summary of what went right at the event, how next year’s convention could be improved, which speaker was the most popular. When he finally stopped, realizing that he’d just given an exceedingly long answer to a simple question, he paused, looked me in the eye and said, “But enough about me. So, what do you think of me?”
And then we laughed. Because every conversation with John also always included laughter.
Those were some of the thoughts that went through my mind as I sat in a pew at a crowded St. Anastasia Catholic Church in Douglaston, N.Y., Tuesday morning at the start of his funeral Mass. I also thought about how John would have beamed with pride over the grace and poise that his beloved daughter, Alana, demonstrated when she choked back tears and shared stories about her father, the man whom she called “my best friend.”
Those of us who came in contact with John in his role as executive vice president of the Industrial Supply Association knew him to be an effective leader and a team builder. But he was also a devoted husband to Barbara, his wife of 42 years, a doting father to their only child, an older brother to Michael and Richard, and the gregarious, funny uncle to several nieces and nephews.
He was hired nearly 10 years ago to be the first head of the new association formed by the merger of the Industrial Distribution Association and the Industrial Supply Manufacturers Association. During the interview process, some board members floated the idea of having the ISA office located in a central geographic location, such as Chicago. John made it clear that he was interested in the job but that he was a New Yorker at heart and had no intention of leaving the city where he was born and raised.
“In working with John, it was very apparent that he was New York strong. Nothing in the world was better than living on Long Island (he rarely left), and cheering for the best sport franchise in the world, the New York Yankees,” said Craig Vogel, GBU vice president of sales for Lenox, East Longmeadow, Mass., and a member of the ISA executive committee.
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John and Barbara Buckley pose with retired four-star general Stanley McCrystal, who was keynote speaker at the 2012 ISA Product Show & Conference |
“He was extremely proud of his family, and that included not only his wife and daughter, but all the manufacturers and distributors that make up ISA. It was a pleasure to work with a man with such passion and zeal for the industrial channel. My wife Colette and I had the opportunity to spend some time with John and Barbara and they really showed us what it meant to be a great married couple. John will be sorely missed,” Vogel said.
Tom Berger, who was ISA's first elected president, served on the committee that was charged with hiring a new executive vice president in 2004. "We had instructed the search firm that we employed that the person had to be based in the Midwest, where the majority of our membership was located," Berger said. "When the search firm called to update the list of candidates they had vetted, they told us that one of the strongest candidates lived in a region outside of our defined geography. At their insistence, we agreed to interview him. We knew immediately upon meeting John that he was 'our guy'."
“We are saddened to learn of John’s sudden passing. He will be deeply missed, mostly as a great friend but also as the face of ISA and for all the great things he did to make the association what it is today," said ISA president Michael Carr, vice president of Snap-on Industrial, Kenosha, Wis. "There is a void that cannot be replaced. Our hearts and prayers go out to his wife Barbara and daughter Alana.”
ISA vice president Tommy Thompson, executive vice president of Turner Supply Company in Mobile, Ala., said the industry has lost an incredible leader and a phenomenal person. "While John contributed so much to our industry, he contributed even more to his relationship with his friends. John had the natural ability to make everyone he met feel like they were the most important person in the room. John infused energy into a project and always found a way to keep it fun. If you measure a man’s success by the company they keep and the friends they have, John Buckley was as successful as any man could be."
"I'm deeply saddened by the loss of our associate and friend, John Buckley,” said John Wiborg, president of Stellar Industrial Supply, Tacoma, Wash., and a member of the ISA executive committee. “I'm glad I got to know him. John was a good man to his family, friends and the industrial supply industry. John's legacy at ISA will never be forgotten. My prayers go out to his wife, Barbara, and John's entire family."
“John Buckley personified ISA. His energy and passion about our industry was contagious. His sense of humor and engaging style when connecting with people made you feel like the most important person in the room. He will be missed,” said Ed Gerber, executive vice president of sales and marketing for Industrial Distribution Group and a past president of ISA.
Mary Ritchie, ISA’s director of membership services, who worked alongside John for the past 10 years, said she will miss John’s leadership and guidance. “I remember meeting John for the first time. He had a spark in his eye and a fire inside with so many ideas on how he wanted to bring value to the membership. He had a real zest for life and no one who met him was a stranger for long,” she said.
Joe Casey, executive director of ISA, said he learned a great deal from John after joining the ISA staff in 2010.
"As a fairly experienced association professional when I joined the ISA team, I thought I had a deep understanding of what success looked like. Somehow, John managed to become the mentor I didn't expect, nor thought I needed. John challenged me, and always picked me up when I faltered. He really became a wonderful partner, sounding board, inspiration and friend over the years.There will never be another John Buckley. I'm certain I became a better professional, and a better person, because of the time we worked together," Casey said.
John Buckley’s influence in the distribution industry was far reaching. As head of the National Paper Trade Association for 25 years, he was an active participant in the National Association of Wholesaler-Distributors (NAW) and over the years worked closely with other associations on joint projects.
“ISA, through John's efforts, became a close collaborator with PTDA, the PTDA Foundation and the Industrial Careers Pathway initiative. I was so fortunate to be able to work with John on many cross-industry initiatives where his ability to see the benefits for all — as well as for his own members — helped us be even more successful than we could have been independently,” said Ann Arnott, executive vice president/CEO of the Power Transmission Distributors Association, Chicago. “As those who knew John can relate, our joint professional work was just the doorway for our personal friendship. I looked to John as a mentor and will miss his guidance, knowledge and ability to get to the heart of any issue. May he rest in peace.”
“John and I enrolled our associations in NAW at about the same time,” recalled Morrie Halvorsen, former executive director and founder of the Specialty Tools & Fasteners Distributors Association (STAFDA), Brookfield, Wis. “Over the next 23 years, we became good friends while attending NAW meetings. He was one of those instantly likeable guys, combining an outgoing personality with a great sense of humor. He was also generous in sharing information on his innovative programs for association members. My wife and I send our sympathies to John's wife, Barbara, and his daughter, Alana, the light of his life.”
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John Buckley at a 2012 ISA board meeting |
“When I first began serving industrial distribution associations in 1989, one of the first colleagues that I met was John Buckley, and his delightful wife Barbara and daughter Alana. We’ve been friends and business associates ever since,” said Joseph Thompson of Thompson Management Associates, Annapolis, Md., which manages distributor association groups NAHAD – The Association for Hose and Accessories Distribution, the FPDA Motion & Control Network, and the International Sealing Distribution Association.
“John’s incredible energy, spirit and good will touched everyone he met. His enthusiasm was contagious; he will be greatly missed. The association community and the wholesale-distribution industry have lost a great advocate and a true friend. We extend our sincere sympathies to his family, friends and colleagues,” Thompson said.
INDUSTRIAL SUPPLY MAGAZINE
The March/April issue of Industrial Supply magazine features an in-depth cover story about Joyce Lansdale and Vallen. Plus, we're featuring articles by contributing writers Dirk Beveridge, Frank Hurtte, and David Kahle, as well as interviews with numerous product and distribution industry experts.
