“Leaders become great not because of their power, but because of their ability to empower others.”
– John Maxwell
There are probably very few people in the community who didn’t know William “Pine” Buskell. Most knew him as Bill, “Pineapple” or “Pineapple Willy.” Fewer still were honored enough to call him husband, father, grandfather, or great-grandfather. However, there’s one term that I think all people could universally and honestly refer to him as, and that’s “a blessing.”
Pineapple’s generosity in the community goes way back before any success stories from his restaurants. Sitting with native locals who had known Bill for decades, you will be told of how he would anonymously leave groceries on the doorsteps of employees who weren’t currently working due to the restaurant being closed in the winter. Or you may hear other stories of him anonymously going to the pharmacy and paying for prescriptions of his employees who couldn’t afford much needed medicine for their family.
Having played a big role in the establishment of Beach Care Services, Buskell was always looking for opportunities to help not only his employees, but his surrounding community as well. For nearly two decades, Pine has dedicated five days out of each year to donate 100% of profit from food sales to local charities, known as “Pay it Forward.” His passion to serve and to help everybody succeed was something that will leave an impression on those around him for generations to come. And this may only be speculation, but I believe that Pineapple knew that a legacy isn’t just about making yourself successful, but rather making everybody around you successful as well.
Over the decades, Buskell’s generous mentality was branded into the minds of his employees as well. Three years ago, employees organized a community beach cleanup at Pineapple Willy’s in the summer months that has helped support several different local non-profit organizations. This event has been successful in creating community involvement, raising needed funds for wonderful organizations, and cleaning our beaches at the same time. Empowering your employees to be generous with profits breeds an environment of love and compassion for others, both of which exemplify the man that Pine was.
Pineapple, while many may see your passing as a heartache and loss to our community, we see it as an opportunity to carry on the legacy of a man who helped mold a business that exemplifies success and generosity. Please join us in celebrating the life of the man that we all came to know and love – the man that blessed us with working for the best company in Bay County – the man that blessed us in so many ways, and the man that helped influence and better our community every day that he was around. We all mean it when we say that you were and will continue to be “a blessing.” We were blessed to have you as the owner of our company, blessed to have you as our mentor for business and personal advice for so many years, and blessed to have you as a friend that we will never forget.
