In the past few days there have been many, many wonderful pieces written on the passing of William F. Buckley Jr.

I particularly enjoyed this piece at American Thinker:

The two conservative icons were, then, whole men. God, family, the brotherhood of man, the joy of living — all of these values together made Buckley and Reagan the giants that they were in American life. Because they were naturally whole men, they were also utterly sincere. Neither man was much interested in finesse. What they believed in did not require finesse.

This absence of finesse was the key to their eloquence. Buckley, of course, was a writer of incomparable skill. But Buckley the debater, the commentator, the orator was just as great. Reagan the speaker was as powerful with his voice as Buckley with his pen, but Reagan is a grossly underestimated writer. The secret of his power, as with Buckley, that he spoke as a clear, strong, informed conscience.

There are those we encounter in this life (whether personally or just from afar) who leave a lasting impression which never seems to fade. Mr. Buckley was such a man.