William D. Buckman

William D. “Bill” Buckman, 87, of Chicago, IL, passed away at 8:39 p.m. on April 21, 2023, at Northwestern Memorial Hospital after a brief illness.

Bill was born on December 29, 1935 to Charles Shelby and Katherine Eleanor (Driscoll) Buckman in Peoria, Illinois. He attended St. Bede Academy in La Salle-Peru, Illinois and graduated from DePaul University in Chicago. While a student at DePaul, Bill began working as a tour guide for a small company where he developed a life-long love of travel. In 1968, Bill opened his own travel agency, Travel Time, that he built into a world-class award-winning agency for European luxury travel. It was so successful that many other travel companies often copied his itineraries. He operated the agency until the unfortunate events of 9/11 crippled the travel industry.

Bill spent the rest of his life enjoying the many adoring clients and friends he had made during his thirty-plus years of Travel Time. Bill was a devout Catholic, a long-time member of the Chicago University Club where he celebrated often with his friends and family. He was also a proud member of the Sons of the American Revolution (SAR) and enjoyed attending monthly meetings when possible.

Bill was preceded in death by his parents, his brother, Gerald Leo Buckman, and his two sisters, Mary Colleen Estevez and Anne Marie Cassetarri. He is survived by numerous nieces and nephews.

Cremation has been accorded and a private gravesite memorial service and interment will be held at St. John’s Cemetery on Friday, July 21, 2023 at 12:00 pm.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.blakelamboaklawn.com for the Buckman family.