I don’t expect that many of my fellow citizens even those who live in Canada, have ever heard of Dr. Robert Buckman…..
I heard of him many years ago through a friend who used to live in Canada, and I have been a follower of his speeches and writings ever since. On a couple of occasions, we even braved the cold to attend his talks. By trade, he was a doctor of medicine, specializing in oncology; by talent, his specialty was humor and wit. I always wondered why with his talent for comedy he even bothered to go through endless nights of studying medicine. He could have made his living in stand-up comedy. He also served as president of the Humanist Association of Canada and was Chair of the Advisory Board on Bioethics of the International Humanist and Ethical Union.
His atheist views never impeded his ethical practice. He never questioned a patient’s belief system.
He was a great man of honor. Dr. Buckman died yesterday on a flight from London to Toronto. He will be missed by many of his colleagues, patients, fellow thinkers, and friends.
