William “Bronco” Moncrief, recently deceased (20220925), was, for many years, the Mayor of Cumberland BC.
Nicknames have always been a thing in Cumberland. Bill Moncrief was once a paperboy. Someone, on his route, familiar with the comic strip, nicknamed Billy Moncrief, Bronco Billy. Bronco stuck.
I enjoyed Bronco, his interactions with me were enthusiastic and fun. Unfortunately, a brief exchange between my father and Bronco changed that. After retiring in Ottawa, my mother and father moved to Cumberland. When dad bumped into Bronco at the Post Office he tangled Bronco’s nickname and said “Good morning Bonzo.” Later, for whatever reason, Bonzo bounced around in dad’s head. Eventually, he concluded, “Nuts, I got that wrong. I’ll apologize the next time I see him.” Bronco was not sporting his usual happy face the next time I saw him and I think I know why.
Background: Way back, Bonzo, the Clown, was a comic character created to entertain children. Bronco was not Bonzo. He was an accomplished, good man. That said, I’ve always thought my father’s nickname confusion made for a funny story.
By the way, Bronco’s wife, Kay Moncrief was the nurse responsible for the, “Where did that damn fly go?” prank. I’ve detailed her mischief in Humorous Recollections. Kay, was a terrific nurse.