Gladys L. Buchanan

Gladys L. (Lowe) Buchanan, passed away peacefully March 4th, in Marblehead, MA, after a long struggle with Alzheimer's Disease. She was 98 years old. Gladys was born in Salem Depot, NH the third and youngest daughter of Alfred and Louisa (Pittard) Lowe. The family moved to Winchester, MA when she was a child and she attended the Wadleigh School, McCall Jr. High and Winchester High School. She also took classes at the Boston MFA School, where her father worked as a fine arts restorer for many years. She enjoyed traveling across country with her parents during summer vacations. She also biked with a hosteling group through upper New York State and around the Gaspe Peninsula, Canada. Gladys met her husband to be, Charles A. (Buck) Buchanan, Jr. during the summer prior to her senior year of college and they were married in January 1943 at the Army Air Force base in Denver, CO, where Buck was awaiting deployment overseas. Gladys graduated from MacMurray College, Jacksonville, IL with an honors degree in Fine Arts and almost immediately moved to Washington, D.C. World War II was raging and Gladys began working at the Naval Research Lab, under the guidance of her brother-in-law, Dr. Richard Tousey. In 1945, the war was over. Buck returned from the Philippines and Gladys' first daughter, Susan, was born in 1946. The family moved back to Winchester a year later and shared with Gladys' parents the home where she had grown up on Highland Avenue. Here, daughters Ellen and Judith were born. Gladys was always interested in politics and was a member of the League of Women Voters for many years. In 1965, the family moved to Camp Hill, PA and later to Wilmington, DE where Buck died in 1972. Gladys returned to Massachusetts and settled in Marblehead a year later. During the next 35 years, Gladys enjoyed traveling and studying. She loved cruising with family members: to the Caribbean, Bermuda, Alaska and overseas to England, Israel, Portugal and Scandinavia. She took many classes with the Salem State Elder Hostel groups. She was also an avid walker, a member of the Marblehead Walkie-Talkies. As the Alzheimer's slowly took over her life, Gladys moved to the Lafayette Nursing Home where she spent the last ten years of her life. Gladys leaves her three daughters; Susan (Mary) Parker of Gulfport, FL and Sutton, Surrey England, Ellen (Donald) King of Reno, NV and Judith (David) Johnson of Oshawa, Ontario, Canada. Also 8 grandchildren and 7 great-grandchildren. A memorial service will be held in September. Arrangements by the Eustis and Cornell Funeral Home, Marblehead. Please visit the online guest book at www.eustisandcornellfuneralhome.com