Remembering Bob Buford: A Life of Purpose, Passion, and Impact

Bob Buford, who passed away in 2018, was more than an author and philanthropist—he was a voice for a generation. His journey from “success to significance” shaped the lives of thousands of leaders and left a legacy that continues to grow.

Bob’s mother, Lucille Ross Buford, was a trailblazer. In the 1950s, she purchased KLTV, the first television station in Tyler, Texas. Because women couldn’t complete such a transaction alone at the time, she needed a man’s co-signature. Her media career began earlier with the purchase of a radio station in Okmulgee, Oklahoma—Bob’s birthplace on September 16, 1939. After Bob’s father, Pat Buford, fell ill, the family moved to McAllen, then to Tyler, where Lucille acquired another radio station and raised Bob and his twin brothers, Jeff and Jerry.

Bob honed early life skills in the shadow of the KLTV tower at Loop 323 and Hwy 31. He learned the ropes of broadcasting early—writing commercials, selling ad time, and dragging cables on live TV sets. The “L” in KLTV stands for Lucille. Family lore says she read him profit-and-loss statements instead of bedtime stories, and gave him his first briefcase at 12. His first real spiritual influence came from a neighbor, Mr. Sessions, who taught Bible stories and sparked the faith that anchored Bob’s life.

In 1971, Lucille died in a tragic hotel fire in Dallas, leaving Bob and Jeff to manage KLTV. They expanded it into Buford Television Inc., acquiring stations and cable systems across small and mid-sized markets. Bob devoured management books, but only one author truly impressed him: Peter Drucker, the father of modern management. Bob cold-called Peter one day—and to his surprise, Peter agreed to meet.

That connection became a yearly tradition and a professional mentorship—until it became something deeper in 1987, when Bob and Linda’s 24-year-old son, Ross, drowned in the Rio Grande. Peter called Bob and said, “Why does it take something like this to say ‘I love you’?”

Out of their friendship and shared vision, Bob helped launch Leadership Network in 1984 to bring business strategies into church ministry. With Peter’s influence, Bob mentored pastors like Rick Warren and Randy Pope in scaling their work to meet growing needs. At Peter’s urging, Bob also began writing. His personal turning point came in 1981 when he asked himself, “How much is enough?” That led him to sell Buford Television and commit fully to purpose-driven work.

His book Halftime—with a foreword by Peter Drucker—became a bestseller and launched the Halftime Institute. For over two decades, it has helped business leaders shift from success to significance, from making money to making a difference.

Bob’s second act influenced the world. Known for phrases like “Go big or go home” and “Operate from islands of health and strength,” Bob encouraged others to discover and unleash their own purpose. “Bob liked to launch people,” Linda said. As Peter once told him, “Your fruit grows on other people’s trees.” Bob’s legacy is seen not just in achievements but in the impact he catalyzed in others. Admiral Ed Allen once told him: “You’re not the carrier, the plane, or the pilot. You’re the catapult.”

Bob was driven, curious, articulate, and deeply faithful. He built an unconventional business and an even more exceptional life. He loved art, travel, deep conversations, and people from all walks of life. His books are underlined and well-worn. His thinking changed how leaders lead.

In 1978, at age 39, Bob wrote a letter titled What If and sealed it away. Just days before his passing, Linda read these words aloud:
“In overall life satisfaction, I consider myself in the very upper tier. I am ready to go on living and look forward to many exciting things, but I also feel that I have had a more-than-adequate life if it were to end today…If I die, my wish for you is to mourn, grieve, experience the loss fully—not repressing it—so you can be done with it. Recall the absolute confidence I have that to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord… and think how happy I will be, face to face with Christ, and to know everything, not through glasses darkly.”

Bob was preceded in death by his son, Ross, and his brother, Jerry. He was survived by his wife of 57 years, Linda; his brother Jeff; Jeff’s children, Christopher Buford and Lauren Buford; nephews Scott and Vic Gardner; and longtime assistant and close friend, BJ Engle.

A private graveside service was held at Rose Hill Cemetery in Tyler on Monday, April 23, officiated by Dr. Robert Lewis of Little Rock, Rev. M.L. Agnew of Tyler, and Fred Smith Jr., Bob’s Leadership Network cofounder. A public celebration of Bob’s life was held in Dallas.