Mrs. Gloria Buchanan

Mrs. Gloria Buchanan, 79, had her transition on Saturday, August 27, 2016 under the excellent and professional care of Hospice Savannah surrounded by family.

Funeral services for Mrs. Gloria Hamilton Buchanan will be held 11:00 A.M., Saturday, September 3, 2016 at St. John Baptist Church. Rev. Dr. George P. Lee, III; Pastor.

Interment: Bonaventure Cemetery/ Greenwich Section.

Visitation with the family will be held from 6:30 P.M.-7:30 P.M. at the Funeral Home.

OBITUARY: 

Gloria Buchanan was born Gloria Hamilton in Savannah, Georgia on March 15th 1937, the daughter of John and Mary Hamilton.
Gloria spent the first five years of her life with both parents in Savannah. After the death of her birth mother, she was sent to live in Brooklyn, New York with her aunt Ethel and her cousin Mattie. Gloria adored her aunt Ethel and for the rest of her life, she considered Ethel to be her beloved mother and she referred to Mattie as her sister.  
In addition to Mary, Gloria is preceded in death by John, Ethel and Mattie.
Gloria was raised in New York and after high school, attended a local technical college before going to work as a secretary. She also married a young soldier in the United States Air Force, Alexander Buchanan, with whom she had four children. After the untimely death of her husband, Gloria used her secretarial skills to secure a job in New York City with Lutheran Community Services, a social service agency where she remained employed for many years. Gloria eventually remarried to Willie McDonald Sr. and had two more children.
Gloria’s work with the foster children at Lutheran Community Services was a perfect fit for her kind and generous nature. On many occasions, she was known to bring children home to care for them until they were adopted. Gloria’s kindness was only eclipsed by her faith in God, which was the cornerstone of her life. She spent many years as a gospel vocalist who sang with the choir at Zion Baptist Church in Brooklyn. With the voice of an angel, she inspired hundreds of people and performed solo concerts all around New York City. She was one of the first people to be tapped to record a Gospel album for Capitol Records.
Sadly, due to an in-hospital accident that led to a long-term illness, she was never able to record her album, but she continued to live her life to the fullest. She never wasted much time on sadness or regret. Instead, she enjoyed traveling, spending time with her family and giving generously of her love, time and financial resources to the many, many people who regularly sought out her wise counsel. Upon moving back to Savannah in 1984, Gloria continued to sing God’s praises and to testify to the amazing grace that allowed her to not only survive, but to thrive, after being on the brink of death so many times over the years. She first chose Pilgrim Baptist Church as her place of worship and later on she made New Beginnings Baptist Church her spiritual home. She remained a member there until her passing. She was also honored to be a member of the Celestial Community Choir in Brooklyn, New York. She was proud to attend concerts and special events with them whenever her time and health allowed.
Gloria’s beautiful legacy of love will live on in the hearts of all those who were lucky enough to come into her life. One of the things will undoubtedly be remembered most about her is her radiant smile, which had the ability to light up any room that she was in.
Ultimately, though, anyone who knew Gloria knew that the true light of her life was her family. She always said that her children were her greatest achievement and that their happiness was her happiness. She felt beyond blessed that as she was coming to the end of her life, she was going out of this world the same way that she had lived in it: surrounded by all those she loved most.
She is survived by her 6 children and their spouses: Alexander Buchanan (Janice), Linda Buchanan-Collis-Shoemaker (Jerome), Dennis Buchanan (Hope), Denise Buchanan Williams (Charles), Leticia Berg (Joshua), Michelle Jackson (William).

4 Children-Not by birth but by Love: Agnes Sylvia Mack (Charlie), Shirley Kent, Laura McDonald and Willie McDonald Jr. and their children, Joseph "Nelson", Marcus, Sheree, Kidada, Angela and Tasha.

14 Grandchildren: Alex Buchanan, Dana Buchanan, Joy Bradley (Darryl), Tiffany Perry (Lajon), Dennis Buchanan, Jr., Brandon Buchanan, Tinequa Holcombe, Myasia Buchanan, Vincent Holcombe, Jr., Sosie Berg, Sage Berg, Melanie Jones, Markus Jackson, Marissa Jackson.
 

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