Charles Thomas Buchana

Services are private.

Charles Thomas Buchana, age 76 of Collinsville, IL formerly of Godfrey, IL was born in East St. Louis on November 9, 1944 to Charles Andrew Buchana and Anna Lois Shroat.  He passed away November 26, 2020 at Belleville Memorial Hospital after a long battle with dementia and heart disease.

Chuck attended East St. Louis High School, Class of 1962.  He belonged to Boy Scout Troop 4 of E. St. Louis. He regularly led hiking treks to Cahokia Mounds with his troop during his youth. He was very talented in music obtaining a full scholarship in music to SIU-Carbondale of which he turned down to pursue a career in English and Social Work. He graduated with a Bachelors Degree in English from SIU-Edwardsville.  He entered the Army in 1967 and attained the rank of First Lieutenant completing a tour of duty in Vietnam with 60^th Company, 1^st Platoon, Signal Corps. He returned to SIUE and graduated with a Masters Degree in Counseling Education.

He was the Director of the International Institute of St. Louis, where his mission was to advise non-citizens with housing, job, and general assistance with adapting to life in America. He was the Executive Director at Piasa Health Care in Wood River, which provided health assistance to the needy. He was the Executive Director for Ecumenical Housing, a non-profit housing organization in St. Louis.  He was a member of the Riverbluff Traditional Music Society in Alton and would play weekend gigs at area VFW and American Legion halls in his band, Country Sunshine. He was last employed before retirement as an Information Technical Specialist at the Department of Defense.

He married Linda Gaines in 1970 and together they had a son, Charles Patrick Buchana. He loved taking his son camping in the Smokey Mountains, attending flea markets and numismatic (coin collecting) shows, Indy car races, movies, and music festivals. One of his most favorite times was sitting in the last row cheap seats with his son at the old Busch Stadium.

He married Jessica E. Velarde of Maryville, IL originally from the Republic of Panama on September 29, 2001. They both worked for the Department of Defense. Together they enjoyed music especially live dulcimer concerts, productions at the Fox Theater and  Powell Hall. He had a passion for travel to National Parks and Panama, and he enjoyed the Spanish culture and language. He was the coordinator of his U.S. Army Infantry School “Sons of Sixty” group, OCS 504-68, and he and Jessica attended all the reunions.

He is preceded in death by his parents Charles A. Buchana in 2000 and Anna L. Buchana in 2003.

He is survived by his loving wife, Jessica E. (Velarde) Buchana of Collinsville; two brothers, Michael Andrew Buchana and John James Buchana both of Belleville; a sister-in-law, Luisa Rodriguez of Maryville; a son, Charles Patrick (Elizabeth) Buchana of Staunton; two grand-children, Reed Ellington Buchana and Luke Charles Buchana of Staunton. He was also a dear “Uncle Chuck” to many nieces and nephews from the family of his wife, Jessica.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to St. John’s Community Care in Collinsville, IL or the Wounded Warrior Project.

Due to COVID quarantine regulations, the visitation at Kassly Funeral Home in Collinsville and the burial at Lakeview Memorial Gardens Cemetery in Fairview Heights will be private.

Kassly Funeral Home, Collinsville, IL