William F. Buckley passes away, lauded for his contribution to American public life

Washington D.C., Feb 27, 2008 / 16:35 pm

William F. Buckley Jr., the champion of many conservatives in the United States passed away on Wednesday morning while at work in his study.

Buckley died overnight in his study in Stamford, Connecticut at the age of 82, according to the National Review Online. His son, Christopher, told the New York Times that Buckley had suffered from diabetes and emphysema, although the exact cause of death was not known.

Buckley was found at his desk and might have been working on a column. He died the way would have liked to—“with his boots on, after a lifetime of riding pretty tall in the saddle," his son said.

As an editor, columnist, novelist, debater and host of the TV talk show "Firing Line," Buckley worked at an almost unheard of pace, taking as little as 20 minutes to write a column for the magazine he founded in 1955, National Review.

Various colleagues and supporters praised Buckley’s legacy.

George Weigel told CNA that “Bill Buckley may have been the most publicly influential U.S. Catholic of the twentieth century; he would certainly be on any serious list of the Top Five. A man of unfailing good humor blessed with a great capacity for friendship, he left an enduring mark on American public life as did few others of his generation.”

Mrs. Beverly LaHaye, founder and chairman of Concerned Women for America, said, "Bill Buckley's passing is a tremendous loss to America. He was a leader of principle and passion. His ideas shaped the conservative movement and the thinking of several generations of American leaders. The world is poorer for his loss. I send my condolences to his family and his colleagues."