Brian Buck served the property management community for 20 years by bringing new technology products to market which have shaped the growth and performance of the vacation rental industry.
His sudden passing on January 2, 2017, was shocking news to all of us who worked so closely with him—and there were many of us. There are few vacation rental managers and vendors who did not have some interaction with Brian, or “Bri,” as many of his friends called him. He began his career in the vacation rental industry working for Milton Buehner at NAVIS, formerly known as Buehner-Fry. Brian traveled all over the US introducing new NAVIS technology products to property managers from Florida to Hawaii. He manned every booth at every industry conference and became widely known and respected for his sincerity, warmth, and integrity.
“Brian was a good friend, a dedicated father and an overall great guy,” said Kyle Buehner, CEO at NAVIS. “He was involved and engaged in our industry and with the VRMA for 20 years. He created many, many friendships over that time and he will be greatly missed by all of us who knew him.”
Ben Edwards, president of Weatherby Consulting and former president of the VRMA, echoed the sentiment, “He represented the best of our industry, continually advocating on the behalf of vacation rental managers while always operating with honesty and integrity.”
Brian developed very close friendships with co-workers and colleagues. In the vendor community, teams have a way of getting to know each other extremely well, as we often get together to let off steam after grueling conferences. Brian excelled at bringing a calm and a fun-loving outlook to highly stressful situations and environments.
Dawn Yeskulsky, vice president of business development and partner programs for Ascent Processing, said, “I was lucky to call Brian an industry associate, but more importantly, I was blessed to get to call him my friend, always there with a warm hug, a smile and some advice when you needed it.”
Yeskulsky added, “He was a kind soul that genuinely cared for the people he worked with and the industry we all care so much about. True friends are the ones who never leave your heart, even if they leave your life. We will miss Brian.”
In 2012, Brian joined the Glad to Have You startup team, and helped to rapidly establish the company as a major industry player by selling the platform to hundreds of VRMs. Glad to Have You sold to HomeAway in 2014, and Brian stayed on with HomeAway during the transition.
Regina Ebert, CEO at Ascent Processing said, “Although we never worked together directly, I never hesitated in recommending an account or lead to contact Brian. I was absolutely confident [that] his honesty, integrity, and expertise would provide them with the strongest solution available.”
In 2015, Brian and his close colleague (and known partner in crime), Rob Johnson, joined the TruPlace team to bring its interactive floor plan system to the vacation rental industry.
Suzi Cusack, CEO at TruPlace, was excited to add Brian to her sales team in 2015. “It was such a pleasure working with Brian because he was always so positive, calm, and genuine. He had a true passion for the industry and the relationships he built over the years,” said Suzi.
Brian Buck understood the importance of relationships, and he built and maintained them with all of his heart.
“Bri was not only a colleague, but a friend, and more importantly, a true brother to me,” said Rob Johnson. “We shared so much together in the industry we both loved over the 27 years we knew each other. We have lost a great man way too early in life. It has been hard to comprehend his passing, and I think of him every day. To lose someone you were so close with over so many years is devastating. But knowing Bri the way I do, I know he is looking down on us and telling us to move forward with life and to remember the fun, the memories, and the successes we shared in our 27-year journey.”
“I miss Bri and know many of you do as well,” added Johnson. “Let’s carry our memories of Bri forward and look back on those times we shared together and smile with a heavy heart.”
RSS