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In Memoriam

Robert W. "Bob" Buchanan - Class Of 1962 VIEW PROFILE

                                            Bob Buchanan (1944 - 2010)
I became friends with Bob in high school, then got to know him better at MSU and beyond.
Bob breezed through MSU in three years, then moved on to U. of Nebraska for medical school.
Following that he had a two-year tour of duty as an Air Force physician in Crete.
Bob took specialty training in the field of psychiatry, eventually becoming a psychoanalyst,
which I would say is the peak of the pyramid in that field. Bob's office on Michigan Ave. in
Chicago had a view of Grant Park from the 30th floor.
Many of us knew Bob had some physical handicaps, but most of us didn't realize he had dealt
with painful juvenile rheumatoid arthritis since his early teens. He had several joint replacement
surgeries over the years. Despite this challenging disability, Bob worked hard at his golf game,
wearing special shoes and using clubs designed just for him. He enjoyed music and sang in a
choir in his later years.
Bob raised two children from his second marriage, Sarah - who died at age 17 of cancer, and
P.K. - now 30, living in Chicago. Bob never lost his sharp mind, quick wit, and congenial
personality, even late in his life as a brain tumor took away his ability to get around and speak
clearly. He passed away in the Spring of 2010.
--written by Bob Breckenfeld

 

Chicago Tribune (Chicago, Illinois) Sunday 23 May 2010

Dr. Robert W. Buchanan, M.D., died on May 21, 2010 at his home in Winnetka, IL, after having been diagnosed with a brain tumor in Jan. 2009. Bob Buchanan was born on Nov. 2, 1944 in Omaha, NE, to Robert W. Buchanan and Anna Lou Buchanan. He was the oldest of three children. Bob graduated from Okemos High School in 1962, attended Michigan State University, and received his Doctor of Medicine degree from the University of Nebraska in 1969. As a serviceman in the US Air Force, Bob was stationed in Crete, Greece for two years. Upon his return to the United States, Bob was a resident at Michael Reese Hospital and in 1976, established his own private practice of general psychiatry and psychoanalysis in Chicago. Bob was known for his direct style of counseling, from which his patients benefited. Outside of work, Bob was most well-known for his straight iron play out on the golf course and his echoing baritone voice in the church choir. Dr. Buchanan considered himself blessed in his life and is survived by his wife, Margaret Barrett; son, P.K. Buchanan; parents, Robert and Barbara Buchanan; and sisters, Susan and Carol Buchanan. Dr. Buchanan is predeceased by his daughter, Sara Anne Buchanan (March 27, 1997). A celebration of his life will be held at 3 p.m. on Thursday, May 27, 2010, at the Winnetka Congregational Church.



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