Ronald Patrick Buchanan
Ronald Patrick Buchanan, 83, was born October 11, 1939, in Van Buren, Missouri and passed to glory July 12, 2023, in Springfield, Missouri.
Growing up, Ron’s family moved between Missouri and Colorado a few times before remaining in Southeast Missouri where he graduated from Piedmont High School in 1957. There, he met the love of his life, Peggy. He worked at Brown Shoe Company for a year before going to the University of Missouri – Columbia. He held various memorable jobs while there, including University maintenance, work at a garden nursery, the Ice Plant and driving a concrete truck. He always enjoyed working hard, passing that character trait to his children, grandchildren, and others.
Ron & Peggy were married August 14, 1959. He worked and studied mechanical engineering, and when there wasn’t enough money for school, he would drop out for a semester and work to save up for the next one. After his second child was born, he left school to find a better job to provide for his family. He took a job at Allen Filters in Springfield. After a few years, he was contacted by a former co-worker about an Engineering job at Rose Metal Products. He saw a good future there and accepted that job moving from Engineering to Sales, becoming Vice President of Engineering and in 1980 being voted in as President where he remained until retiring in 2005.
Ron & Peggy became members of Pleasant Home Baptist Church in 1966. Through the years Ron taught 5th – 6th grade Sunday School and spent many years leading Royal Ambassadors, investing in the lives of boys to become men of God. He enjoyed providing the annual big events, like the Pinewood Derby, river camping and fishing trips. He was a deacon and spent many years as a Trustee.
God gave Ron a mind to fix things. He learned so much from his own dad and added to that knowledge with the varied jobs and experiences he had over the years. He loved using this ability at Pleasant Home Baptist Church, where he spent many hours working. He also had a special relationship with Stained Glass Theater for which he designed and built several projects including a bridge and merry-go-round for their productions.
Ron was very present and involved in the lives of his children, making sure they had opportunities to try new things and the support needed to progress and excel at what they loved. He made sure they learned music at an early age and spent many hours at sporting and music events. He invested in the lives of many other young people, helping with college expenses, vehicle maintenance, housing and corresponding for years with two young men in prison. There are probably many other stories no one has or will ever hear about.
His grandchildren fondly remember time spent with Grandpa, from pond fishing, ‘find the thimble’ and ‘Grandpa’s chair’ games as small children to encouraging conversations, an impressive Rube Goldberg project and guitar-playing as they got older. He prayed daily for his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren, petitioning God for care, guidance and wisdom for them.
Ron is survived by his children Debbie (Jerry) Marti, Wiley (Sigrid) Buchanan and Rhonda Buchanan, grandchildren Kimberly (Alex) Cantrell, Britney (Ryan) Kneibert, Jennifer (Kale) Regier, Veronica Buchanan, Weston Buchanan, and Jeremy Marti, eight great grandchildren, a brother Randy Buchanan and sisters Pat Burns and Priscilla Vaughn. He was preceded in death by his wife of 63 years, Peggy Buchanan, and by a sister, Millie Wymore. He had brothers and sisters-in-law, nieces and nephews and many others who loved him deeply.
The family received visitors from 10:00-11:00 am at Greenlawn Funeral Home, North on Saturday, July 15, 2023, a funeral service immediately followed starting at 11:00 a.m. also in the funeral home. Ron was laid to rest next to his wife, Peggy, in Greenlawn Memorial Gardens following the service.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the Pleasant Home Baptist Church fund for “December to Remember”. It is a project that helps feed children in Springfield, Missouri.
Fond memories and condolences may be shared on www.greenlawnfuneralhome.com.
