Who We Are

Bill brought his dream of creating a natural burial sanctuary for Cincinnati to fruition in 2020, after more than a decade of hard work that began with an inspiration at the grave of the great 19th century naturalist Henry David Thoreau. He says, “In that moment, I realized that Thoreau had, indeed, become a vital part of the natural world that he so loved – but only because he, like all his contemporaries, had been buried in a way that today we would call ‘green’ burial.” As the Tri-State’s leading spokesperson for green burial, Bill has appeared in numerous local, regional and national publications, as well as in broadcast media, advocating for a return to more natural and traditional human burial practices. He has long been active in the “Death Positive” movement, is a Friend of the Green Burial Council, and is a member of the National Home Funeral Alliance. Bill has also served as minister of the Heritage Universalist Unitarian Church in Anderson Township since 2002.

Tom first learned about Heritage Acres and green burial after his brother, Miklos, passed away in April 2021. Miklos was the first body burial at Heritage Acres, and Tom was deeply moved by the experience, expressing admiration for the volunteers he met and quickly embracing the purpose and philosophy of Heritage Acres.

It had been 16 years since Tom left a management career in technology in order to be able to spend more time outdoors, doing work that would feed his soul while improving the natural habitat in his community. In that time, Tom worked for his township’s Parks department, helped the Ohio Department of Natural Resources develop an Emerald Ash Borer plan for his community, and became both a Certified Arborist and an Ohio Certified Volunteer Naturalist. He has been instrumental in planting over 300 trees in the parks and community, enjoys speaking at local elementary schools about the importance of respecting and caring for the environment, and is excited to be part of Heritage Acres’ environmental stewardship team. Having recently retired, Tom enjoys traveling, reading and watching his six grandchildren grow up.

Donna Buckley is retired from a 40-year career in clinical research at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital. She not only enjoyed the science but is also skilled in education and training. She is now devoting her time and energy to her passions of family and the environment. It is very important to her to leave her children and grandchildren with a healthy planet, a thriving natural environment and a good example of stewardship. She loves to travel, explore and learn about the natural landscapes of diverse places.

Donna has been involved with Heritage Acres Memorial Sanctuary since its inception, and is honored to serve on the Board for a second time. She was involved in finding our property, is continually inspired by its natural beauty. Donna enjoys giving tours, educating people about green burial and Heritage Acres, and assisting with burials. She feels blessed to be a member of the Founders Circle and an active volunteer at Heritage Acres.

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After more than 40 years in local government management, David retired in early 2020. Throughout his career he sought to guide decisions that worked with the natural environment, not in spite of it.

He earned his Masters in Planning at Virginia Tech focusing on flood plain management policy. Early in his career he developed a deep interest in improving water quality and working in coastal zone management in Florida. Upon moving to Ohio, David served as Milford City Manager and then Clermont County Administrator where he was instrumental in developing a water quality assessment program for the East Fork of the Little Miami River.

David first became interested in green burial when his dad died, and he realized that his dad’s wish to be buried under a Tamarack tree to nourish that tree could not be achieved with a conventional burial. David’s current focus is working with nature on the 40 acres that is Heritage Acres Memorial Sanctuary.