Creeley 'Buck' Buchanan, ex-N.H. state senator; at 91

Creeley Buchanan, with President Bush, served in the New Hampshire Senate before becoming a federal housing official.

Creeley "Buck" S. Buchanan a lifelong Republican whose call for fiscal responsibility and moving away from "big government" helped get him elected to the New Hampshire state Senate in the 1960s, died Nov. 21 at his home in Amherst, N.H. He was 91.

Mr. Buchanan also served as director of the regional office of the Federal Housing Authority, which became the Department of Housing and Urban Development, and on the University of New Hampshire board of trustees.

"Buck Buchanan dedicated his life to serving the people of New Hampshire in various capacities, as a state senator, as a federal Housing and Urban Development official, and as a trustee of the university system," Governor John Lynch said in a statement.

Mr. Buchanan "was very opinionated and very conservative," said his son Shepard of Portland.

His parents pledged to name him after the doctor delivering him, with the pregnancy and delivery thought to have little hope for success. The doctor's name, Oscar Creeley, was adopted, although Mr. Buchanan later dropped the Oscar and was always Sonny to his parents and Buck to most everyone else.

He graduated from Arlington High School in 1935 and earned a bachelor's degree in political science from the University of New Hampshire in 1940. He spent the summer after graduation working for the Gallup polling service, going door-to-door, asking political questions. He then worked for the Berlin, N.H., newspaper as a reporter for more than six months before being drafted into the US Army to serve in World War II.

He was part of the Persian Gulf Command as a platoon leader with Bombay as his first stop. He was then stationed in Iran, helping to deliver supplies to the Russian Army.

He stayed active in the Army Reserve for many years, becoming a lieutenant colonel.

When he returned from the war, he worked at Phoenix Mutual Life Insurance Company in Philadelphia for 25 years as a salesman and manager. The family later moved to Manchester.

Mr. Buchanan's attention turned to Republican Party politics in the 1960s, and he was a delegate in the 1960 and 1968 Republican National Conventions. In between, he was elected to the New Hampshire state Senate in 1964, with fiscal responsibility as one of his top issues.

"He was very fair and always looked at things objectively," his son Shepard said.

As a senator, he introduced a room and meals tax, aimed at tourists and dining out, to generate revenue in a state that prides itself for its conservative taxing policies.

He served for three two-year terms before being appointed to what was then the Federal Housing Authority. His jurisdiction included Maine, Vermont, and New Hampshire, and he was charged with making sure the administration's policies were carried out in the region.

"He came from humble beginnings and never forgot that most of America is middle class or lower," his son Scott said.

"The thing he enjoyed most about that job was that it was so much involved with helping low income people find affordable housing," his son Shepard said.

He retired in 1979 after a decade on the job, but kept up with the local political traditions and used his extra time to travel, including Antarctica at the age of 82, his sons said.

He met Governor Lynch while serving on the UNH board of trustees, and they became fast friends, despite political differences.

"Buck had his cellphone number and didn't hesitate to call," his son Shepard said.

Growing up an only child made him fond of the spotlight, relatives said, and he was always thrilled to serve as the parade marshal for the local Fourth of July parade.

In addition to his two sons Scott and Shepard, Mr. Buchanan leaves his wife of 62 years, Rosamond (Eckfeldt); a daughter, Blair Clark of Culver, Ind.; another son, Alexander of Amherst; five granddaughters; two grandsons; four great-grandsons; and one great-granddaughter.

Services have been held.