Richard S. Buchanan

Mr. Richard Samuel Buchanan, 77, died Saturday (June 10, 2017) at Hartford Hospital after a brief illness.  He was the father of Cheryl Buchanan and fiancé Stephen Smith and Cathleen and Patrick O’Hare, former husband of Maureen Buchanan, and current partner of Mary Carberry and her children, Alena and Robert Duffy and Melissa and Dennis Bruneau.  He was Grampa B. to Cayleigh, Brody, Brynne and Celsey and Grampy to Ryan, Erin and Evangelina.  Richard was born on July 5th, 1939 and raised in Plainville, Connecticut where he graduated from Plainville High School in 1957 and went on to teach English and coach basketball and soccer for 13 seasons.  In 2012, he was inducted into the Plainville High School Sports Hall of Fame for his athletic excellence and extraordinary, ongoing leadership.  He graduated from Southern Connecticut and earned an M.Ed. from the University of Hartford.  Richard served as Assessor of the Town of East Hartford for 17 years, receiving several commendations for his vision, compassion and dedication, including the Secretary of State’s Public Service Award in 2003 and a U.S. Congressional Award for invaluable service to the community in 2005.   Richard loved country music, the ocean, road trips, and mysteries.  He was predeceased by his brother Phillip and his sister Nancy and survived by his brothers John and Melvin and several nieces and nephews.  Arrangements:  Family and friends may gather at the Bailey Funeral Home, 48 Broad Street, Plainville, on Saturday June 17, 2017 from 9:00a.m. until 10:00 a.m. with a service in celebration of Richard’s life beginning at 10:00 a.m.  In lieu of flowers, Richard expressed that he preferred any memorial donations be made, in honor of his nephew, to the Gary M. Buchanan Scholar Athlete Award, First Bristol Federal Credit Union, P.O. Box 698, Bristol Connecticut, 06011.. 

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