Nancy Buchanan, aide at County Council, dies at 73

By Keith Ervin
Seattle Times staff reporter

Nancy Buchanan was a tireless volunteer.

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Then at night, recalls her traveling companion, friend and co-worker Cindy Domingo, "She would say to me, 'Where are we going dancing tonight?' This was a woman who at the time was 71 years old. She was so full of life."

After her return to the states, she worked with the group that sponsored the trip, EveryWoman's Movement for Cuba, to help normalize relations between the United States and Cuba.

Ms. Buchanan, a legislative aide to King County Councilman Larry Gossett for more than 10 years, died Tuesday (Sept. 21) after a long illness.

Remembered by friends for her "endless energy," Ms. Buchanan continued to work nearly every day even months after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. She had to stop working in June.

Born May 5, 1931, in Cleveland, Nancy Lee Smith attended Kent State University and worked for a mediation office of the federal government for 23 years.

After moving to Seattle, she met Walter Buchanan, a widower with six adult children. They married in 1978 and were together until his death 17 years later.

Ms. Buchanan, who had worked in Cleveland as secretary to Antioch Baptist Church Pastor Wade McKinney Jr., joined Seattle's Mount Zion Baptist Church after its pastor jokingly told her she "didn't have any choice." The Mount Zion pastor, the Rev. Dr. Samuel McKinney, is the son of the late Wade McKinney Jr.

Mount Zion became an important part of Ms. Buchanan's life. She sang in the women's choir, was a member of the Harriet Tubman Circle and was president of the women's ministry.

"She was a hard worker, a very thorough, task-oriented yet people-oriented person," McKinney said.

In 1981, Ms. Buchanan went to work as administrative assistant to Gossett, who at the time was director of the Central Area Motivation Program (CAMP), an anti-poverty agency. She worked on Gossett's 1993 campaign for County Council and was hired by Gossett after his victory.
 
While on a lunch break in the Central Area, Ms. Buchanan one day saw ElderHealth Northwest's then-new Jefferson House. She began volunteering with the organization, became a board member for 17 years and had an adult day-care center, Buchanan House, named for her.

Gossett said constituents and co-workers came to view her as "a mother and a godmother figure. ... She was the heart and soul of (Council) District 10."

When a constituent needed help, Gossett recalled, "She would say, 'Larry, just help them, don't justify it through political rhetoric.' "

Ms. Buchanan is survived by her sister, Clara Carter, of Houston; two nieces and a nephew; two great-nephews; six stepchildren; and one granddaughter.

Memorial services will be held at 11 a.m. today at Mount Zion Baptist Church, 1634 19th Ave., Seattle.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to ElderHealth Northwest, Attn: Ms. Nora Gibson, Executive Director, 800 Jefferson St., Seattle, WA 98104.

Keith Ervin: 206-464-2105 or kervin@seattletimes.com