Roxboro, NC The Person County community mourns the death of its emergency chaplain, who died Wednesday afternoon after an extensive battle with COVID-19
Merritt Buchanan spent about two weeks in the ICU at Duke fighting the virus while the community sent prayers.
Unfortunately, the man loses this man as a pillar of the community.
A long truckload of grieving respondents escorted Buchanan’s body from Duke Hospital to Person County.
“This is just evidence that the first responders in Person County wanted to pick him up at midnight and bring him home,” said Ralph Thompson, director of EMS Chaplains.
He regards Buchanan as a good friend.
‘With his retirement, he served the Lord faithfully by serving first responders and people who were in a crisis in Person County. And he did it with the zeal and energy of a young man, ‘Thompson added.
The 72-year-old was a chaplain for volunteer firefighters, hospitals and the police.
He served as a ‘light’ for those who were ill with COVID
During the pandemic, he became a beacon for many COVID-19 patients and prayed for them and their nurses.
“We struggled daily to care for the people who are COVID sick. When I see him die, I wonder who will now share the words of encouragement to get us through, ‘said Pattie Hatcher, who worked with Buchanan at the Persons Memorial Hospital.
Hatcher said she has never met a chaplain as caring and caring as Buchanan in a 30 years as a nurse.
“He was one of the greats. He really was, ”she said.
Secondary teacher, hospital comforter, disaster relief volunteer
Jermaine Wallace, one of his high school students, remembered him and said, ‘He was there for everything, no matter what. you come to a restaurant. That’s what many people in the community will really miss. ‘
According to many who knew him, he was a true servant who will never be forgotten.
“What we’re going to see over the next few days is exactly how many lives he touched,” Thompson said. ‘I believe his life, his legacy will touch many more lives, just by his memory and inspiration of other people. “
The family is making memorial arrangements for him, but has no firm plans yet.