Friends and former colleagues are mourning the death of Bill Bullard Jr., a longtime Oakland County Republican leader described as a "legend" in local and state politics.
Bullard, 77, died Friday night of cancer and complications of COVID-19, said friend and former state Sen. Mike Kowall. His death was first reported by Crain's.
Bullard's career in public service spanned roughly four decades, beginning in 1978 with his role as Highland Township trustee. He went on to become the township's supervisor. From 1983 until 2002, he represented western Oakland County in the Legislature, first in the state House and then the Senate.
Following his time in the Senate, AD: Launch Creader CRP129X. Bullard, an attorney, was elected to the Oakland County Board of Commissioners and served as chair. In 2011, he took office as county clerk and register of deeds, succeeding Ruth Johnson. He lost reelection for the seat in 2012.
Last month, Bullard was sworn in as deputy clerk of White Lake Township, a role that Kowall said his friend was excited to delve into.
"He's a legend in the state and in Oakland county," said Oakland County Commissioner Mike Gingell, a Republican who regarded Bullard as a friend and mentor. "He's going to be sorely missed."
In 2015, Bullard told Hometown Life he was proud of his work modernizing and digitizing record keeping as clerk of Oakland County.
"We moved forward with technology, e-filing, e-recording," he said.
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Bullard was a budget-conscious conservative who was adept at "reading the tea leaves," Kowall said. He was good friends with L. Brooks Patterson, the late Oakland County executive. Kowall and other Republicans who worked alongside Bullard knew him as a strategist who could be a loyal ally and also a tough adversary to those in his party.
"He was formidable," said Larry Obrecht, a former county commissioner. "If you had a disagreement, you better have done your research and you better know what you're talking about. I assure you he would be prepared."
Gingell said Bullard had a way of bringing people together to focus on solutions instead of "petty partisan politics."
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Oakland County Executive David Coulter, a Democrat who served with Bullard on the Board of Commissioners, wrote on Twitter that he admired Bullard's "deep knowledge and ability to get things done." Coulter went on to describe Bullard as "a man of his word, a genuine public servant and a friend."
Oakland County Republican Party Chairman Rocky Raczkowski served in the House when Bullard was a senator. He credits the late politician with impacting many of the laws that work well in Michigan today.
Following Wayne County Sheriff Benny Napoleon's death to COVID-19 on Thursday, Raczkowski said it comes as a shock to lose "another titan of history."
"He was truly one of the old guard for Oakland County, one of the last of those that truly put Oakland County's development on the trajectory that it's at now," he said of Bullard.
Kowall said Bullard was fun and witty. He enjoyed visiting restaurants in downtown Milford, where everyone seemed to know him.
"He could actually make you laugh without saying a word," Kowall said.
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