BUCHANAN, EDNA - Edna Cora Buchanan, RN, nee Grantham, of Ridgewood Retirement Centre & Drumlin Hills Seniors’ Apartments (Bridgewater, NS), formerly of Lakewood Heights and Regency Towers, Saint John, NB passed away peacefully on 14 May 2013. Devoted wife of the late Eldred “Buck” Buchanan. Edna was born in Aroostook Junction, NB in 1926, the youngest daughter of Roy and Florence (McGraw) Grantham. She studied nursing and graduated from the Saint John General Hospital School of Nursing in 1948, and enjoyed celebrating class reunions. During her nursing career, she worked in many medical areas at North Western General, North York General (Branson), and Belleville and Sunnybrook hospitals in Ontario, and Moncton City Hospital, as well as private duty nursing. When she returned to New Brunswick with “Buck and the girls” in 1965, she went to work at Centracare, where she began working with the mentally ill, and found it was her true calling. She worked in many areas of that facility until she retired in 1991, including charge nurse and evening supervisor, and assisted in organizing and training staff in the forensic units, as well as operating this unit, the first forensic unit in New Brunswick hospitals. While in this position, she attended and was speaker at several local, national, and international symposiums on forensic nursing. She also had articles published in periodicals and professional journals, and was the first to earn the designation of “Forensic Nurse” in Canada. Edna was always known for her calm demeanor and respectful compassionate manner, and during her career received many accolades from management, personnel, and patients and their families. Edna and Buck loved to garden and were so proud of their beautiful yard, and of the home they built and lived in for 37 years in Saint John, NB. They were both animal lovers, and always had at least one cat and dog. And they were both dedicated members of Saint James Anglican Church, Lakewood from 1968 until Edna moved to Bridgewater, NS in July 2009 to be nearer to Ruth and Barbara. She made many friends and loved her new home at Drumlin Hills Seniors Apartments in Bridgewater, NS, where she was welcomed and made to feel at home by all the wonderful tenants and staff, but she did miss Karen and her family very much, as well as her Saint John friends. She later moved to Ridgewood Retirement Center (also in Bridgewater) when her health declined, where she was well cared for and also made to feel very welcome. Edna was also predeceased by her brothers Arthur and Edward, and sisters Madeline, Mildred and Jo (Charlene). She is survived by her brother Jerry (Lorraine, Perth-Andover, NB), her four daughters: Barbara (Stephen MacNeill, Bedford, NS), Ruth (John Bird, Rhodes Corner, NS), Karen (Dan Harding, Saint John, NB), and Heather (George Lewins, Williams Lake, BC). Edna was also very proud to be a grandmother and great grandmother of four grandsons, six granddaughters, and four great grandsons. She would also like to mention her dear close friends Iva Virtue and Rosemary Legere who are called the “adopted sisters” as they are like members of the family.
Resting at Fundy Funeral Home, 230 Westmorland Road, visitation will be 7 to 9 pm on Friday, May 17, 2013. Service will be held at Fundy Funeral Home Chapel on Saturday, May 18, 2013 at 10 am, reception to follow there as well. Family flowers only. in lieu of flowers, Edna’s wishes were for donations to Saint James Anglican Church, Saint John NB; Holy Trinity Anglican Church, Bridgewater; Saint John Animal Rescue League; or your own local food bank. Interment is beside her husband at Cedar Hill Cemetery, Manawagonish Road, Saint John, NB. Mom’s frequent need for care and support was respectfully, lovingly and skillfully provided by doctors, nurses and other care givers too numerous to mention for fear of leaving someone out, and Reverends Fran and Alvin of Holy Trinity Church, all in Bridgewater, NS. We are forever grateful to all of you. We love you Mom, you will be in our hearts forever, and now you are carefree and with Dad.