Robert B. Buchanan

Robert Blaine Buchanan, 95, of North Little Rock, died on Tuesday, March 24, 2026 in North Little Rock. Born Robert McIntosh in Rockford, Illinois on July 29, 1930, he was the son of the late Charles McIntosh and Florence Dorothy Buchanan McIntosh. Following the death of his mother in 1936, he was adopted and reared by his maternal grandparents Frank and Marguerite Eckl Buchanan.

Bob was married for 57 years to his late wife, Lorraine “Laurie” Szott Buchanan until her death in 2012. They were married in 1955 in Chicago and moved to Arkansas in 1969. Together, Bob and Laurie visited all fifty states and many provinces of Canada.

Survivors are his three sons: Keith (Karen) Buchanan of Hot Springs Village, Arkansas; Kevin (Cate) Buchanan of Dallas, Texas; and Kelly Buchanan of North Chesterfield, Virginia. He is also survived by three grandsons: Kyle Buchanan of Atlanta, Georgia; Kendall Buchanan of Monument, Colorado; and Alex Buchanan of Chama, New Mexico.

Bob joined the Air Force after college and served 26 years before retiring in 1982, having reached the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. Duty stations included air bases in Tennessee, New York, Hawaii, Texas and Arkansas where he was a Titan II missile launch officer.

After retiring from the military, Bob dusted off his journalism degree and joined the Arkansas Gazette as a copy editor. He remained at the “Old Lady” until she closed her doors in 1991 and then moved to the Log Cabin Democrat in Conway where he reported until retiring in 1995. His journalism career also included serving as associate editor for The Guardian (now Arkansas Catholic), the newspaper of the Diocese of Little Rock. After his “final retirement,” Bob volunteered for AARP Tax-Aide for over twenty years.

Bob was a 1954 graduate of the University of Illinois School of Journalism and also received an economics degree from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock in 1980. He remained a member of Delta Upsilon Fraternity, the Military Officers Association of America (national and local chapters), AARP, and the University of Illinois Alumni Association up until his death.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 11:00 am, Friday, April 17 at Immaculate Conception Church in North Little Rock, where Bob was a communicant for over fifty years and served as an usher. Visitation will be at 10:00 am followed by recitation of the rosary at 10:30 am also at Immaculate Conception. Burial with military honors will be 1:00 pm at the Arkansas State Veterans Cemetery (1501 W. Maryland Avenue, North Little Rock) where he will be reunited with his wife, Laurie.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Helping Hand (1601 Marshall Street, Little Rock, 72202); Catholic High School for Boys (6300 Father Tribou Street, Little Rock, 72205); or Immaculate Conception Church (7000 John F. Kennedy Boulevard, North Little Rock, 72116).

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Smith North Little Rock Funeral Home, 1921 Main St., North Little Rock, AR 72114. 501-758-1170