A pharmacist has been reunited with a long lost heirloom thanks to the kindness — and doggedness — of a stranger.
Like other fantastical stories, Bradley Buckle’s tale began with a great ring.
The St. John’s Pharmasave co-owner received a gold ring when he graduated from Memorial University’s pharmacy school in 2002. Buckle misplaced the piece shortly after, he said in an interview with CBC Radio’s The St. John’s Morning Show.
“[I] just accepted that the ring was gone and that I’d never see it again,” he said.
For about 20 years, the ring passed out of all knowledge, until the Pharmacists’ Association of Newfoundland and Labrador received what Buckle thought was a suspicious email.
“I have something in my possession which belongs to a probable pharmacist,” read the email Buckle provided to CBC.
“I expect it would be very sentimental if I can locate the correct person… I’ve had it about 15 years.”
It was one of several attempts a man by the name of Dan Howard made to find the ring’s rightful owner.
Howard, who lives in Ontario, told CBC Buckle must have thought he was trying to scam him. But he kept trying.
Having moved to Ontario and back himself, Buckle couldn’t fathom that someone had this important piece of jewelry.
But his pharmacy received a phone call early the next day. It was Howard.
“He asked me to describe the ring, the markings on the ring, which I did. And then he asked for my middle initial, which I gave him. And then I could just sort of sense this kind of relief in his voice,” said Buckle.
Howard found the ring in the pocket of a pair of jeans he purchased at a Goodwill thrift store. He valued it around $800 after holding onto it for several years, but refused to sell it.
“It sat in the drawer and I forgot all about it for a long time. And then I just pulled it out and thought, well, I’ll give it one more shot,” said Howard.
He scoured the internet to find someone whose identity matched the ring’s inscriptions. The ring has Buckle’s name engraved on it, and when the Ontario man saw a photo on Facebook of Buckle receiving an award from PANL, he knew he found the right person.
The pharmacist said he didn’t fully believe it until he had the ring back on his finger after two decades.
Although he’s relieved to have his ring back, Buckle said he’s more impressed with Howard’s character.
“Persistence, effort, honesty … it’s rare to see somebody with those kind of characteristics,” said Buckle.
Howard said he was just doing the right thing.
“My son just graduated,” he said. “I thought, well, what if it was his? Would he want it back?”
“It all comes around in the end.”
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