AUBURN — Francis “Buck” Buchanan, 93, passed away with his family at his side on Wednesday, Nov. 28, at the Hospice House after a short illness.

He was born April 10, 1919, in Auburn, son of Arthur Perry and Addie Vaughn Porter Buchanan. He married Dorothy C. Austin, his high school sweetheart, on June 28, 1940, and they celebrated 72 years of a happy life together.

He was graduated from Edward Little High School in 1937, where he excelled in sports, playing football and winter sports. He also played intercity hockey. He was captain of the ELHS Winter sports team, winning top honors in slalom and downhill competition.

After graduating, he worked at Merrill Haven Farm as a milk route driver, and then took a welding course in Lewiston. He was employed at the BIW until his enlistment in the U.S. Navy in 1942.

After a tour of duty at Memphis, Tenn., he was sent to the Oldsmobile’s Armament Training Course, where he learned to assemble different types of aircraft armaments blindfolded, graduating with an Aviation Ordnance man third class.

He was stationed at the Kaneohe Naval Air Station in Oahu, Hawaii, until November 1944. He was discharged from the Naval Air Station in Jacksonville, Fla., in September 1945.

Buck became a 32nd degree Mason in 1948, going through the Scottish Rite Degrees, then joined Kora Temple Shrine in 1952, having had 55 years of active membership. After his retirement, he worked on the Shrine Circus Lighting Committee for 18 years.

After his marriage in 1940, Buck was employed by the New England Telephone Co., and after 37 years retired as a PBX installer.

An added accomplishment is the fact that he has given 143 pints of blood to the American Red Cross, 16 gallons in all. He continued until 2003, when, because of poor health, he was required to stop.

Buck was an avid fisherman and hunter. For 20 years, he camped in the Allagash Region with his group of fishing buddies. He has shot more than 40 deer in his lifetime, bagging his last buck when he was 89 years old.

For several years, he held the United Commercial Travelers Big Bucks trophy. He and his family spent many vacations camping in the Maine, New Hampshire and Canadian areas.

Buck will be sorely missed by his family. He spent much of his vacation times traveling with them, and holidays celebrated at the family home in Auburn.

He leaves his beloved wife, Dorothy; three daughters, Susan Fitz-Patrick and her husband, Ed, of Corvallis, Ore., Pamela Allen and her husband, Bruce, of Leeds and Beth Bryant and her husband, Wayne, of Auburn; six grandchildren, Amy Harwell and Michael Fitz-Patrick, of Corvallis, Ore., Jennifer Davies and her husband, Brandon, of Fayette, Kevin Allen of Nashville, Tenn., Emily Bryant of Norton, Mass., and Alex Bryant of Philadelphia, Pa.; one great-granddaughter, Ellie Harwell of Corvallis, Ore.; two sisters, Barbara Jackson of Portland and Marguerita Heisterman of Wall, N.J.; plus several nieces and nephews.

The family would like to thank the staff on 2 West at d’Youville Pavillion for the excellent care he was given during the five weeks he was there, also the caring staff at Androscoggin Home Care and Hospice.

You are invited to share your condolences with the Buchanan family by visiting their guest book at www.thefortingroupauburn.com.