08/14/2026
Buck Buchanan
William Emmett “Buck” Buchanan passed away August 12, 2026 at his residence at the age of 97. He was born February 7, 1929 and lived a long life marked by hard work, an engineer’s determination to solve problems, a wonderfully dry sense of humor, a deep love for his family, and, in the latter part of his life, an unwavering commitment to sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Buck’s story with his beloved wife, Barbara, began while he was serving in the Army. They met on a blind date, which they both attended under protest. When Buck eventually returned to Louisiana, the two began a long-distance relationship. He liked to tell that on one of their phone calls, Buck asked Barbara, “Will you marry me?” She answered, “Yes! Who is this?” It was a story that never failed to get a laugh, and one that captured something of the humor that remained part of their marriage throughout their life together.
Buck was born in Garden Grove, California. His grandparents had moved there from Mississippi in search of employment, and his mother wanted to be with her own mother when he was born. He dearly loved his family, especially his grandmother, and often spoke fondly of those early years. He served in the United States Army in Maryland and Japan in several capacities, but his favorite was as photographer, a hobby he would enjoy throughout his life. He later earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering from Southwestern Louisiana Institute. He became a registered Professional Engineer and later, a Professional Land Surveyor and achieved certification from Mississippi State University in Radioactive Fallout Shelter Design and Earthquake Protection, credentials he carried with quiet pride throughout his career.
Together, Buck and Barbara built far more than a home. They built a family. Their first two children were born while they lived in Vicksburg, where Buck worked for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. A few years later, a business trip to Columbus Air Force Base unexpectedly changed the course of their lives. Buck attended a seminar there, left with a job offer, and moved his young family to Columbus. Their third child, his favorite, was born soon afterward. Although the job was in Columbus, Buck and Barbara chose to make their home in West Point, a community they loved and where they would spend the rest of their lives.
Providing for his family was never simply a responsibility to Buck. It was one of the great purposes of his life. Every promotion, every late night, every weekend surveying job, every project he tackled, and every improvement he dreamed up was ultimately for Barbara and the children they were raising together.
His children learned very early that Saturday mornings were not for sleeping in. Long before sunrise, Buck would wake them, load surveying equipment into the truck, and head into the woods. His son especially remembers trudging through the timber carrying surveying instruments while his father patiently taught him the work. At the time, those mornings may have felt more like labor than life lessons, but in hindsight they became some of the greatest gifts a father could give. Buck believed that character was built through responsibility, perseverance, and doing a job well. He never expected his children to do anything he wasn’t willing to do himself.
That work ethic defined Buck’s professional career. After beginning with the Corps of Engineers, he spent more than 33 years in federal service, including 25 years with the Civil Engineering organization at Columbus Air Force Base. Those years placed him in the middle of one of the most consequential periods in American history. Columbus Air Force Base was then home to Strategic Air Command’s B-52 bombers and KC-135 aerial refueling aircraft. During the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962, Buck was working there as the nation stood one step away from nuclear war. Strategic Air Command moved to DEFCON 2, the highest state of readiness it has ever reached, and personnel worked around the clock to support the mission. His children remember him leaving early and staying many late nights, almost working around the clock during this heightened tension with Russia.
Buck rarely talked about his work in grand terms, but the awards he left behind tell part of the story. He received Commander’s Certificates of Merit in both 1961 and 1962, recognizing service of unusual value to the Air Force and describing him as an employee of superior ability. He later received recognition for his outstanding contribution and service to the mission of Strategic Air Command. One of his improvements in the management of Air Force real property maintenance and operations resulted in a documented savings of more than $214,000, approximately $1,000,000 in current value.
He continued his professional education throughout his career, including advanced engineering studies through the Air Force Institute of Technology. Among the certificates still hanging on his wall is one from the Department of Defense showing that he completed training in Fallout Shelter Analysis in 1967. Anyone who knew Buck’s tendency to build things to last might consider that particular qualification an explanation for quite a few things.
He designed and built his family’s home largely of concrete and steel. It was a house constructed by a man who apparently believed that building codes were merely a promising place to begin. The house could serve as a tornado shelter and, knowing Buck, probably would have given a nuclear blast a respectable argument.
He developed his own asphalt formula that was later sold to a major asphalt company. He and his family revitalized the historic Ritz Theatre in the early 70s, giving his family several more years of projects to tackle together. Buck simply wasn’t wired to sit still.
As remarkable as his engineering career and other pursuits were, it was only preparation for what he would later consider the most important work of his life. Retirement certainly did not mean slowing down.
After retiring, Buck’s relationship with Jesus Christ became the defining focus of his life. He approached Scripture with the same discipline he had once devoted to engineering. He studied the Bible tirelessly, learned Hebrew so he could better understand the original text, and immersed himself in God’s Word with a student’s curiosity and a servant’s heart.
That passion naturally became ministry.
Buck was ordained into the Gospel ministry and founded Zoe Prison Ministry. He faithfully ministered in local jails, at Parchman Penitentiary, and even on death row. His mission work eventually carried him to Russia and the Philippines, where he developed lifelong friendships while sharing the Gospel with hundreds of people.
Even as age began to limit his strength, it never diminished his calling. He continued ministering at the Clay County Jail long after climbing the stairs had become difficult. The sheriff and his staff lovingly helped him carry his Bibles, assisted him up the stairs, and encouraged him to continue the ministry he loved so deeply. Buck often spoke of the respect and gratitude he felt for each of them.
When God placed that jail ministry on Buck Buchanan's heart, He knew exactly what He was doing.
As the years passed, Buck became less concerned about himself and more concerned about what would happen after he was gone. True to his nature, he made a plan. He gathered and mentored a group of faithful men who shared his burden for prison ministry, investing in them so that the work would continue long after he no longer could.
That decision may say more about Buck than anything else.
Throughout his life, he was a builder. He built roads and facilities. He built a home where his family would gather for decades. He built a career marked by integrity and excellence. He built character in his children by teaching them that worthwhile things require hard work. And in the final chapter of his life, he devoted himself to building God’s Kingdom.
The Apostle Paul wrote near the end of his life, “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith.”
Buck did exactly that.
His legacy is found not only in the awards that hang on a wall or the buildings and projects he helped create, but in the lives of his children and grandchildren who watched him faithfully love their mother, quietly serve his country, work tirelessly with his hands, and ultimately give his heart completely to Christ. It lives on in the inmates who heard the Gospel because he cared enough to go, the missionaries and pastors he encouraged around the world, and the faithful men who now carry forward the ministry he began.
For a man who spent his life building things to last, there could be no more fitting legacy than that.
He is survived by his children, Burnette Avakian, Mark G. Buchanan (Donna), Robin Portera (Frank), his grandchildren, Grace Alexander (Josh), CK Foster (Ashley), Elizabeth Skrobialowski (Adam), Lydia Gliniak (Brian), Ragan Foster, Tad Merchant (Emily), and a host of grandchildren and great grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his father, John R. Buchanan, his mother, Elizabeth J. Buchanan, his wife, Barbara Brown Buchanan, his brother, Bob Buchanan, and son-in-law, Nono Avakian.
A memorial service will held at 2 PM Monday August 17, 2026 at First Presbyterian Church with Rev. Brandon Bates officiating. Visitation with family and friends will be 1-2 PM Monday at the church.
Honorary pallbearers are Sheriff Eddie Scott and the officers and staff of the Clay County Sheriff’s Department, and the Clay County Jail ministry team that worked with him so diligently.
A special thank you goes to Suzanne Bell and Mike Smith, who cared for our dad with such kindness and compassion, and whose companionship meant so much to him and to us, his family.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorials be made to the West Point Clay County Animal Shelter5122 Old Tibbee Rd West Point, MS 39773, a charity near and dear to Buck’s heart, where he rescued many animals over the years. Fittingly, his last rescue, Zack Buchanan, remained faithfully by his side until his death.
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