William Arthur Buchbinder

December 17, 1949 - February 16, 2020

William “Bill” Arthur Buchbinder Bill Buchbinder used up the last of his nine lives and died at home February 16, 2020 after a brief illness. He was born December 17th, 1949 in Mt. Clemens, Michigan, the third child of Don and Lois Buchbinder. He grew up across the street from his grandparent's cottage on Lake St. Clair. Bill graduated from L’Anse Cruz High School and Macomb Community College, then served in the Army in Germany from 1969-1970. Bill met Cheri Weatherford, the love of his life, in 1972 when they both lived in small cottages on Silver Lake in Traverse City. They have been married since November 18, 1978. Bill loved music and boating all his life. When he could no longer iceboat he would sail around the lakes in his dreams. He started making sails when he was 16 years old at Boston Sailmakers. His first sail business was Babel & Buchbinder. His second business was Bluewater Sail & Canvas where he worked for the rest of his life. Bill loved all kinds of music, from Classical to Rock and Roll. He would play Guitar and ukulele every day. He enjoyed nature and being in the woods. Visiting with friends at a local bar was very important to him. Hosting campfires in the back yard with family and friends was one of his favorite things to do. Bill was skilled at repairing boats and broken items. He was artistically creative also. Gardening was a relaxing hobby and he enjoyed making salsa. He had a great sense of humor and could be a bit of a trouble maker. He was like a burnt marshmallow — crusty on the outside, but soft and sweet on the inside. He did everything in life with intensity and passion; he was the light in the room. Bill was a truly amazing person who was not only fun to be around, but kind and generous, loved the children, enjoyed sharing with others what he had learned. Most importantly Bill had an exquisite collection of friends that he was always trying to expand. Bill is survived by his wife, Cheri, sister Ann (Ed) Hart, brother Don aka Butch (Sue Hall) Buchbinder, and sister Marion (Rick Meyer) Buchbinder and nieces, nephews and grands. He was predeceased by his parents and nephew Steve Hart. A service honoring and celebrating Bill's life will take place at Reynolds-Jonkhoff Funeral Home, Thursday, February 20, at 3PM. Visitation will begin at 2PM and continue until the time of service at the funeral home. In lieu of flowers Bill would be proud for contributions to be sent to Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy, 3860 N. Long Lake RD, Suite D, Traverse City, Michigan 49684. Bill and his family are being cared for by Reynolds-Jonkhoff Funeral Home and Cremation Services, www.reynolds-jonkhoff.com.