WILLIAM H. BRUCKNER (“BILL”) A/K/A “CHIEF”
1938-2020
William H. Bruckner (“Bill”) a/k/a “Chief ” passed away on July 21, 2020. Born on September 10, 1938 to Frank and Mildred Bruckner in Parkersburg, West Virginia, Bill was raised in Tulsa, Oklahoma.He graduated from Central High School in 1956. A truly gifted student, Bill was a highly sought-after college recruit, receiving full academic scholarships from multiple top universities across the country. He ultimately accepted a full academic scholarship offer from Yale University, where he spent two years before returning to Tulsa to finish both his undergraduate and graduate degrees (B.S. in Chemical Engineering and LLB, in 1961 and 1964, respectively) at the University of Tulsa. Perhaps the greatest lure of Tulsa, aside from its being home, was the love of his life, Wendy Schroeder, whom Bill married on July 1, 1961. During their early years in Tulsa, Wendy taught school and Bill worked a paper route to help pay his way through law school.
Like many other successful Americans of his generation, Bill’s paper route was a formative life experience, and he credited much of his later success to the lessons he learned from having that job.
Upon graduation from law school, Bill entered public service accepting a position in the Honors program for the National Labor Relations Board. Following his stint at the NLRB, Bill “switched sides” and entered private practice. A trailblazer in the legal community, in
1978, Bill, along with two colleagues, founded one of the nation’s first labor and employment boutiques, Tate, Bruckner & Sykes, LLP, in Houston, Texas. For the next 32 years, Bill represented employers and individuals in labor disputes and litigation all across the country, including Alaska. Routinely recognized in “The Best Lawyers in America” and “Texas Super Lawyers,” he was in the first class of labor and employment lawyers certified by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization and was a member of the College of Labor and Employment Lawyers. Bill was also an active member in the American Bar Association, serving as Management Co-Chair, Practice and Procedure Committee from 1998 to 2001. He continued to practice and work as Managing Partner of his law firm, Bruckner Burch, PLLC, until his retirement in 2010.
Bill and Wendy raised their three daughters in Houston, Texas and were prominent and popular members of the St. Francis Episcopal Day School and St. Francis Episcopal Church communities. Bill served on the Board of Trustees from 1978 through 1985, where he helped lead the creation and addition of a Middle School to the school. As Chairman of Board, Bill guided the construction of the school’s Woolrich Building in 1981. Bill was also an active member of the church, from serving on the Church Vestry to “organizing” the ushers on any Sunday when he happened to be volunteering. Despite these notable achievements, Bill was perhaps most proud of
(1) the St. Francis softball teams he coached for his daughters (regardless of their actual win/loss records); and (2) his cotton candy selling and twirling skills, which he refined while working alongside Wendy for 35 years as Chairman of Concessions for the annual St. Francis Festival.
Bill is survived by his beloved Wendy, his wife of 59 years; his three adoring daughters and their husbands, Elizabeth Ertel (Ben), Anne Edwards (Brady), and Caroline (Tom Rust), his five amazing grandchildren: Jackson Bruckner Sherrod Edwards; Katherine Piper Edwards; Turner William Edwards; Georgeanne
Bettine Bruckner-Rust; and William Harrison (“Huckleberry”) Bruckner-Rust and countless other family and friends who loved him dearly. Heaven just got a little bit brighter, and we can all rest easily knowing that he will surely be standing right beside St. Peter -- telling jokes and advocating on our behalf if necessary.
A small, private family service will be held for Chief in the near future at St. Francis Episcopal Church. The family would like to thank the Pals at Belmont Village for their kind care towards Bill. For those who wish to do so, in lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation in Bill’s honor to the Bruckner Scholarship Fund at St. Francis Episcopal School, 335 Piney Point Road, Houston, Texas 77024, which provides financial aid for its primary school for the children of the Faculty of St. Francis -- or to the charity of your choice.