Buchanan, Thomas
BUCHANAN, Thomas E. "Tom"
Thomas E. Buchanan, age 90, of Atlanta, passed away February 25, 2023. Tom was born October 16, 1932 in Dallas, TX, to the late Jerome and Isabel Buchanan. Dallas was where he spent his early years and at age 19, he enlisted in the U.S. Navy and was stationed at the DFW Naval Air Station. His last years with the Navy were spent as an Air Traffic Controller in Corpus Christi, TX where he learned to fly. Tom entered The University of Texas at Austin, and, while working in the dormitory dining hall, met his future wife, Gail. They were married in Houston, TX, in 1959. Upon graduation, Tom worked as a stockbroker for Merrill Lynch. He left the brokerage business and went to work for Mobil Oil as a products salesman in Oklahoma. One day, Tom answered a newspaper ad seeking airplane pilots as sales representatives for Cessna Aircraft. He was hired and assigned to the Southeastern United States to sell planes which brought him and his family to Atlanta. After additional training for operating commercial aircraft, Tom received an offer to join Eastern Airlines as a pilot. Tom flew both domestic and international routes and he earned the rank of Captain; his career with Eastern, along with others, ended in 1991. Tom had a knack for fixing anything and his basement tool collection would attest to that. He was always inquisitive and in tune with issues of the day, and the wisdom he shared with family and friends will be truly missed. He was predeceased by his brother, George Jerome; and his son, Will Thomas. Tom is survived by his wife, Gail of Sandy Springs; his son, Ben Charles and his wife, Deborah Locklear Buchanan; and his grandson, Taylor Estes Buchanan, all of Marietta. He will be sorely missed by numerous family members and dear friends. In lieu of flowers, memorials can be made to Heritage Hospice, 3315 Hilltop Dr., Marietta, GA 30066.
