February 27, 2008
National Review Founder William F. Buckley Jr. Dies
Conservative icon and National Review founder William F. Buckley Jr. died this morning at the age of 82 at his home in Stamford, Conn. Citing his son Christopher, the New York Times reports that Buckley suffered from diabetes and emphysema, although the exact cause of his death is not yet known. He was reportedly found at his desk at home. "He might have been working on a column," his son said.
At The Corner, Kathryn Jean Lopez posted a tribute to the National Review's "dear friend, mentor, leader, and founder":
He died while at work; if he had been given a choice on how to depart this world, I suspect that would have been exactly it. At home, still devoted to the war of ideas.
As you might expect, we'll have much more to say here and in NR in the coming days and weeks and months. For now: Thank you, Bill. God bless you, now with your dear Pat. Our deepest condolences to Christopher and the rest of the Buckley family. And our fervent prayer that we continue to do WFB's life's work justice.
Buckley's final column, posted on NRO Feb. 2, is a recap of the preceding debate between Democratic presidential candidates Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama in Hollywood. Reflecting his love of the written word, the column is largely an homage to "Fowler's Modern English Usage."
