Obituary of Carl Ronald Buchanan
On September 12,2024, Bucky Buchanan passed gently from this life. Born on August 4, 1942, Bucky (or as his mother called him, Carl), the son of the late Milton and Viola Buchanan, spent his early years in Sussex, NB. This is where he found his two loves; Ann and sport. His love of sport eventually led him to the completion of post-secondary degrees in Louisiana, Tennessee, and Florida.
He returned to Canada in 1968 and began his career as Athletic Director at Xavier College, now known as Cape Breton University (CBU), where he developed the athletic program from humble beginnings into today’s nationally respected program, not alone but with the help and encouragement of the sport community.
A visionary and a builder, his achievements were many. He was a founding member of the Canadian Colleges Athletic Association (CCAA). His coaching career was highlighted by guiding the Capers men’s hockey team to the CCAA national championship gold medal in 1978. He was named the CCAA coach of the year in 1986. He served as president and CEO of the 1987 Jeux Canada Winter Games held in Cape Breton. He was honoured as a life member of the Nova Scotia Hockey Association in 2002. He received the Canadian Celebration Medal for contribution to sport in Canada in 1986 and the medal of merit from the government of Canada for contribution to fitness and amateur sport in Canada in 1987.
Bucky was inducted into the Cape Breton Sports Hall of Fame, builder’s category and executive category, 2003, and again in 2004 in the coach and athletics category. He was inducted into the Nova Scotia Sport Hall of Fame as a builder in 2010 and into the CCAA Hall of Fame as a coach in 2015. He was inducted into the CBU Sports Hall of Fame in 2018. The CBU Sports Hall of Fame was renamed the Dr Carl “Bucky” Buchanan Capers Hall of Fame in 2023.
After he began to step back from his demanding career he found a new passion: horses. He built a barn, not himself of course, in Mira and began with miniature horses, riding horses, and eventually Standardbreds. He became a member of the horse racing community and faithfully watched his horses race every Saturday, initially in person and then from the comfort of his den.
To the community he was a legend and a mentor. To us he was a husband, father and grandfather, an advice giver (like it or not), a story teller (some of which were true), a proud Cape Bretoner and passionate CBU Caper to the very end. Even though he came from “away”, he considered Cape Breton his home and boasted of its beauty and incredible growth over the years.
He always said he wanted to live long enough to see his Leafs win the cup, but, in reality, none of us may.
He is survived by his wife of 59 years, Ann; daughters, Kimberly, Susan, Alison (Peter) LeCouter, and Mary Ellen. He will be missed by his 7 grandchildren: Haylee, Breton, Noah, Lauryn, Nora, Liam, and Ella. Bucky is also survived by his brother Richard, his sister in-law Heather (Mel) Coombs, and several nieces and nephews. We purposely did not include the long list of accomplishments and awards he received because those who knew him knew them well.
There will be a Celebration of Life at CBU on Saturday, September 21, at 3pm. Burial will take place at a later date. Donations in memory of Bucky may be made to the Dr Carl “Bucky” Buchanan bursary at CBU or to a charity of choice. Arrangements have been entrusted to Serenity Funeral Home, 34 Coldbrook Village Park Dr., Coldbrook, NS, B4R 1B9 (902-679-2822).
