Obituary
Barbara Ann Buchanan passed away in The Villages, Florida, on October 22, 2025, after courageously battling medical issues for the past five years.
She was born in Holdrege, Nebraska, to Harold Haight Sr. and Bertie Haight (Roark) of Woodward, Oklahoma. Barbara had three brothers Harold, Norman, and Donald, all of whom preceded her in death.
Barbara was a devoted wife, mother, sister, and grandmother. She is survived by her husband, Scott Buchanan; her son, Percy L. Beaulieu III; and her grandson, Ezra Quella Beaulieu.
Barbara proudly served her country as a Vietnam veteran, enlisting in both the U.S. Army (1967–1969) and the U.S. Air Force (1973–1974). She separated from the service with the rank of E-5.
Throughout her career, Barbara worked in various roles and earned numerous certifications in computer and telecommunications systems. Among her many professional accomplishments, she helped create the personnel system used at CINCPAC (Commander in Chief, Pacific Air Command) Headquarters and developed innovative techniques that allowed the Strategic Air Command (SAC) Surgeon General’s Office and SAC hospital facilities to connect remotely integrating hardware and software systems that had never before been compatible. For this groundbreaking work, Barbara and two of her colleagues were awarded U.S. Patent #5,317,744.
In 1994, she received the SAC Civilian of the Year Award for Productivity. Barbara went on to serve 33 years in civil service, working for multiple Department of Defense organizations. She retired from Maxwell Air Force Base in Alabama, where she worked in the Air Force Judge Advocate General’s Office, Air Force Legal Operations Agency, Systems Branch.
Barbara was a devout Christian and a beautiful person, deeply loved by her family and friends. She will be greatly missed.
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