• Carson Now on Facebook
  • Follow Carson Now on Twitter
  • Follow Carson Now by RSS
  • Follow Carson Now by Email

Renowned Composer, Sonatherapist, and Ordained Minister Reverend Dr. Gary Robert Buchanan Dies at 72

Event Date: 
October 24, 2020 (All day)

Reverend Dr. Gary Robert Buchanan, local composer, conductor, Sonatherapist, minister at the International Community of Christ, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather passed away on October 16, 2020, after a year-long fight against cancer. He is survived by his wife Amanda Buchanan, sons Bradley Buchanan of Ventura, California, and Kym Buchanan of Wisconsin, daughter Amy Buchanan-Rodriquez of Reno, and his grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

A service will be held at 11 a.m. on Saturday, October 24, 2020, at the Chapel of the Holy Child, 643 Ralston Street, Reno, Nevada.

Dr. Buchanan lived a long and decorated life in the arts and ministry for the International Community of Christ. After attending the North Carolina School of the Arts where he studied trumpet, he went on to pursue a Master’s Degree in Music Composition at North Carolina University and received a Ph.D. from the University of Washington. Dr. Buchanan taught composition under Crown appointment at the Queensland Conservatorium in Brisbane, Australia for three years before ultimately making a home in Reno, Nevada.

Living in Reno led Dr. Buchanan to connect and collaborate with the late Gene Savoy Sr. and as the music director for the International Community of Christ, Church of the Second Advent, together they created all the liturgical music for the Church. Dr. Buchanan accompanied Gene Savoy Sr. and his family on expeditions to Peru and various excursions all around the world.

“I met Gary when I was seven years old,” reminisces Gene Savoy Jr., President of Cosolargy International and Head Bishop-Overseer of the International Community of Christ, Church of the Second Advent. “He was my music teacher, my geometry teacher, and a very close family friend. We went all around the world together. Not only was he a kind man and a gentle soul, but he was a wealth of knowledge. We had many, many hours of conversation. The world truly lost a source of light with his passing.”

For many years, Dr. Buchanan taught music and geometry at the Jamilian Parochial School and served on the Church’s Sacred Oversee and on the faculty of the Jamilian University of the Ordained. In the 1990s, Dr. Buchanan composed several works commissioned by the director of the Ruby Mountain Symphony in Elko, Nevada to accompany theatrical performances by cowboy poet and Mark Twain impressionist MacAvoy Layne. During this time, Dr. Buchanan also established the Foundation Orchestra, which he conducted and arranged music for into the early 2000s. Dr. Buchanan, a talented arranger and musician, also arranged works for the Ruby Mountain Symphony and the Reno Pops Orchestra and played french horn in performance with the Carson City Symphony and the Reno Pops Orchestra.

For 30 years, Dr. Buchanan researched Wave Front Bioresonance and wrote two books on this subject while Director of Wave Front Bioresonance at the Healing Center and Spa at Steamboat Hot Springs in Reno, Nevada. Gary lectured internationally each year to share his research with select audiences in Europe, Japan, the U.S., and other nations. In 2018, he presented to the Globe International Sound Healing Conference in San Francisco; in 2017 to the International Light Association in Fort Lauderdale, Florida; in 2016 to the International Water Conference in Sophia, Bulgaria; and in 2015 to the International Conference on the Spiritual State of the World at Lake Biwako, Japan.

Dr. Buchanan’s greatest joys in life were spending time with his three children, twelve grandchildren, and five great-grandchildren. While he will be missed by many in the Reno community, he lives on through his family.

To learn more about Dr. Buchanan’s life and career, visit his website http://garyrobertbuchanan.com/.

Memorial service seating will be limited so the family is requesting RSVPs be made at (775)-786-7827.

Top Stories

... or see all stories

Following a capacity community turnout in March, Grassroots Yoga Center is offering its second Self-Care Wellness Fair Saturday, May 18. The center is located at 195 E. Winnie Lane.

Students at Fritsch Elementary School in Carson City were swinging for success with their participation in the San Francisco Giants Junior Giants initiative. The free, non-competitive and innovative baseball program for boys and girls ages 5-13, focuses on education, health and bullying prevention, providing a holistic approach to community sports.

Nevada Humane Society, Carson City branch's Pet of the Week is Valkerye, a one-year-old shepherd mix who still has a big puppy heart. She enjoys playing with children as she is used to living with them.

Sierra Nevada ENT, a trusted provider of clinical and surgical care since 1995, is excited to announce its transition to Carson Tahoe Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT), effective May 14, 2024. This expansion reflects our continued commitment to growth, innovation, a holistic care approach, and our dedication to delivering high-quality, state of the art patient-centered care to our community.

CONNECTIONS Gathering in May with special guest Mark Collie

CONNECTIONS Central announced that musician, actor, and philanthropist Mark Collie will be the guest storyteller at the May 16th CONNECTIONS gathering at the Brewery Arts Center in Carson City. CONNECTIONS Central is a new organization that uses the power of storytelling to promote stronger, happier and healthier relationships that enrich lives and build community.

Food Bank of Northern Nevada is asking for the community’s support on Saturday, May 11 as it joins the National Association of Letter Carriers for the Stamp Out Hunger food drive.

Each year, the Carson City Sheriff’s Office hosts an open house event as a way to connect families, deputies, non-profits and more. This year the event takes place Saturday, May 11 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Tickets are now on sale for the second annual Mane Event, a fundraiser for Between Horses and Humans, a youth-oriented nonprofit serving Douglas County and the Lake Tahoe area that teaches kids life skills through horsemanship. The Mane Event is Saturday, June 1, from 2-5 p.m. at Cowork Tahoe, 3079 Harrison Ave. in South Lake Tahoe.

CARSON CITY — In response to the ongoing Medicaid eligibility redetermination process that resumed in April 2023, Nevada Health Link is extending the Special Enrollment Period through November 30, 2024, for those who no longer qualify for Medicaid or Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP).

The call for country and Olympic team unity has Stephen Curry lacing up his basketball shoes for Paris and setting his golf clubs aside this July, foregoing his title defense at the American Century Championship, the celebrity golf tournament at Lake Tahoe.

A 36-year-old Yerington resident died, one person was injured and three escaped from a house fire Monday night in Yerington, according to the Lyon County Sheriff's Office.

Looking for a place to take your little ones this week? Look no further! Here is a list of family-friendly (and fun!) activities and events happening this week around Carson City.

A gang fight at an apartment complex last month resulted in the arrest of 14 juveniles and adults, according to the Carson City Sheriff's Office.

Carson City Sheriff's Office Uniformed Reserves and Partnership Carson City collected approximately 410 pounds of prescription drugs in the Prescription Drug Take Back held last month in Carson City.

Mark Twain Days Festival returns this Friday through Sunday, May 10-12, with a bevy of events lined up for the second year of the festival, which is held in honor of Mark Twain, our region’s most famous writer.

Check out the free Senior Health Fair from 8 am to 12 noon this Thursday, May 9 at Casino Fandango Grand Ballroom in Carson City.

More than 70 vendors, a record number, will share valuable information about their programs and services. Participate in raffle drawings, interact with service dogs, donate blood, and have quick access to important vaccines. Pick up our fifth edition of the Senior Celebration magazine and a Community Resource Guide.

Partnership Carson City has launched “Rediscovering Your Mental Health Series,” a five-week program aimed at promoting mental wellness during Mental Health Awareness Month this May. Each week, participants will have the opportunity to learn new skills and techniques to enhance their mental well-being and foster a healthy community.

The Battle Born Chapter Daughters of the American Revolution is a women's volunteer service organization, promoting Patriotism, Education, and Historic Preservation.

Photo courtesy of David and Gayle Woodruff

Carson City Historical Society hosts local authors and historians David and Gayle Woodruff, who will present a Chautauqua on "Snowshoe Thompson: Superhero of the Sierra" from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Saturday, May 11 in the Carriage House behind the Foreman-Roberts Historic House located at 1207 Carson Street, Carson City, during Mark Twain Days.

Join us at the Territorial Enterprise Mark Twain Museum located at 53 South C Street for an event filled with fun and excitement for the three days of "Mark Twain Days" in Virginia City, Nevada.

On the morning of Saturday, May 11, volunteers will fan out across the Truckee River watershed to collect and test water samples from creeks, streams, smaller lakes, and Lake Tahoe itself to take a “snapshot” of water quality at a single moment in time for this important source of drinking water and outdoor recreation.

The Douglas County Board of County Commissioners will hold a special meeting May 20 that will include the final adoption of the County Budget Fiscal Year 2024-25.

A 44-year-old man was arrested Saturday for suspicion of unlawful occupancy of real property and violation of a suspended sentence, according to a Carson City Sheriff's Office booking report. The man was occupying the home of a deceased person without permission.

The Nevada Artists Association Art Gallery in Carson City presents the "Just the Right Size" show with 130 entries by 31 local Nevada artists.

UPDATE 3:11 PM: The fire in the 1400 block of Monte Rosa Drive was contained to the garage and was knocked down quickly, according to CCFD Battalion Chief Jon Pedrini. The fire did not extend to the main structure. No one was home and there were no injuries. The cause is under investigation.
***
UPDATE 12:37PM: Carson City firefighters knocked down the fire and are beginning to clear the scene.
***
Carson City Fire Department and sheriff's deputies were called late Monday morning to a structure fire in the 1400 block of Monte Rosa Drive.

For years, advocates have called upon presidential administrations to reclassify marijuana or deschedule it entirely from the DEA’s list of controlled substances.

UPDATE: The roadways have reopened.
***
Firefighters in Yerington and the Lyon County Sheriff's Office are on scene Monday morning of a semi truck rollover on Aiazzi Lane and Miller Road in Yerington. The entire area is closed to all traffic.

It's time again for the biggest one-day food drive in the country, the Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive happening Saturday, May 11. This event is vital for helping food banks to provide food during the summer months.

Polka Dot Powerhouse, Carson City Chapter, invites you to be a guest at our May monthly business luncheon. Come meet Carson City's most dynamic, positive, action forward women to connect for business and friendship. Join us for collaboration, celebration, and fun! Special raffle prizes for all guests.

We’re back, bigger and better than ever! Please welcome the second annual Mark Twain Days, May 10-12. For a listing of events take a gander at the website here.

You will find something of interest or my name’s not Mark Twain, or used to be anyways. And this year Virginia City is joining in on the fun along with Carson City. Wow!