I'll never forget the time Dr.Rob Buckman explained to me, in a televised interview no less, how he defined humour.
Essentially, it was the unexpected punch line coming at the end of a conventional set up. I asked him for an example.
"Well," he explained, "basic humour would be 'one, two, three, six.' The next level up would be 'one, two, three, cucumber,'" he added. "But the best would be 'one, two, three, sexual perversion.'"
Oh, could Rob Buckman make us laugh. And why not? He used to hang out with the likes of Jonathan Miller and John Cleese.
He was brilliant when it came to dispensing advice on a range of issues: cancer treatment, health care in general, death, religiosity, atheism --- we had him on TVO to discuss all of those things and more, both on The Agenda and on his own program many years ago, Vital Signs.
Last week, "Doctor Rob" as we all called him came to TVO to participate in a program on cancer. That program will air on Thursday. He was in fine form and left the studio to head straight to the airport for a trip to London, UK.
It was on his return flight home that Dr. Buckman died in his sleep at the age of 63. The cause of death is still unknown.
Doctor Rob was one of those amazing people who, despite constantly fighting with his body (he'd had bad health as long as I've known him), he was constantly cheerful. He always made you happier just to be with him. And, although he'd never accept a compliment for demonstrating such grace under tough circumstances, he deserved all the accolades and more.
Rob Buckman's death is, of course, a tragic loss for his family. But it's also a loss for us at TVO, and if I can be so presumptuous, for the thousands of others who were his colleagues, his patients, his viewers, and his readers.
Rest in peace Doctor Rob.
