- Date Of Birth: August 21, 1925
- Date Of Death: May 22, 2015
- State: Illinois
Bill W. Buchanan, 89, of Jacksonville, IL died Friday morning, May 22, 2015, at Heritage Health in Jacksonville. He was born August 21, 1925, in Bowling Green, KY, the son of Jesse and Dena Wright Buchanan. He married Dorothy E. Houston on July 4, 1948, in Jacksonville and she preceded him in death on February 6, 2013.
He is survived by three children, Joy E. Buchanan of Midland, MI, John M. Buchanan (wife, Mary Ardis) of Jacksonville, and Robert L. Buchanan (wife, Lynda) of Chatham; five grandchildren, Joel Buchanan (wife, Kristen) of Jacksonville, Megan Johnson (husband, Daryl) of Morton, Caitlin, Lizbeth, and Emily Buchanan, all of Chatham; three great-grandchildren, Kole Buchanan, Henry Johnson, and Kora Buchanan; and a niece, Bette Crabtree (husband, Jim) of Chesterfield, MO. He was preceded in death by a son, Richard E. Buchanan (surviving wife, Dr. Lisa Zacharewicz of Foster City, CA); a sister, June Bahr; and a brother, Jesse Buchanan Jr..
Bill was a 1943 graduate of Tilghman High School in Paducah, KY, and served from 1943 to 1946 with the 5th US Army during WW II, stationed in northern Africa and Italy. He attended the St. Louis College of Mortuary Science on the GI Bill following the war, graduating in 1947. He served as a funeral director in Carmi and Decatur, IL prior to joining the Gillham Funeral Home of Jacksonville in 1951. He assumed ownership of the funeral home in 1954 following the retirement of Fred Bailey Sr. and later renamed the firm, Gillham-Buchanan Funeral Home. He also added the Massie-Buchanan and Lintner-Buchanan Funeral Homes to the firm’s operation. Bill retired in 1995 yet remained involved with the funeral home for numerous years. He has been an Illinois licensed funeral director for 67 years. He was a long-time member of the Illinois and National Funeral Director Associations.
In addition to his funeral service career, Bill has been a consummate public servant including his leadership as president of the Jacksonville Jaycees, president of Passavant Area Hospital Board of Trustees, president of School District #117 Board of Education, president of the Prairieland United Way, chairman of Morgan County Chapter of American Red Cross, president of Barton W. Stone Christian Home Board of Directors, and a co-founder and president of the Morgan County Rescue Squad.
A devoted and long-time Kiwanian, Bill formerly served as president of the Jacksonville Kiwanis Club, Lieutenant Governor of Division 29, secretary and treasurer of the Illinois-Eastern Iowa District of Kiwanis International, and chairman of numerous state-wide committees. As the father and grandfather of four Eagle Scouts, he was also passionate about boy scouting serving as an assistant scoutmaster of Troop 107, Honest Abe District chairman and commissioner, and Abraham Lincoln Council vice-president.
Additional community service included Elm City Center Board of Directors, Jacksonville Salvation Army Advisory Board, Jacksonville Public Schools Foundation, City of Jacksonville Police and Fire Commission, and project review chairman for Illinois Health Planning Council.
He has been a long-time member of Centenary United Methodist Church, Jacksonville Area Chamber of Commerce, Jacksonville Elks Lodge, Odd Fellows Lodge #4, Harmony Lodge #3 AF & AM, Zingabad Grotto, Valley of Springfield Consistory, Ansar Shrine, Jacksonville York Rite Chapter and Council, and the former Wilber Chapter #358 Order of Eastern Star which he served as a worthy patron.
In recognition of his devoted service, he has been honored with the Distinguished Service Award from the Jacksonville Jaycees, the Silver Beaver Award from the Boy Scouts of America, the Service to Mankind Award from the Sertoma Club, the Others Award from the Salvation Army, and was named a Distinguished Kiwanian and a Hixon Fellow by the Jacksonville Kiwanis Club. Bill was inducted into the Jacksonville Area Hall of Fame in 2003.
