Donald L. Buchan, 81, Plymouth, Minn., loving husband and father, died Friday, June 24, with family members by his side at Methodist Hospital in St. Louis Park after a long battle with lung cancer. Don was born and raised in Henning and graduated from Henning High School in 1959.

He spent most of his adult life in the Twin Cities metro area where he worked in a number of business concerns. He spent two years owning and operating a Dairy Queen in Norwood-Young America. The majority of Don’s work life was spent as a truck driver.

He was an over-the-road 18-wheel truck driver for many years running routes throughout the Upper Midwest, the Dakotas and the East Coast, both working for trucking companies and operating as an independent trucker. He later worked for trucking companies serving business accounts in the Twin Cities.

One of his first truck driving jobs was found in the pea and wheat harvests in Oregon and Washington in the early 1960s. He was among the first of numerous Henning boys, who thanks to Buchan-family connections, found summer harvest work in the two western states.

After retirement, he went to work part-time as a school bus driver and charter motor coach bus driver. Two of his favorite charter routes involved driving Minnesota Golden Gopher football fans to Big Ten Conference games in Iowa City, Iowa, and Madison, Wisconsin.

Throughout his life he was an avid fan of the Minnesota Vikings, the Minnesota Twins and Gopher athletic teams. Two of his sporting highlights were attending the 1991 World Series when the Twins defeated the Atlanta Braves for the title and watching on television as the Henning boys won the 2019 Class A State Basketball Tournament championship.

Don’s love of country was displayed often in his support of Minnesota military veterans who fought in Vietnam but never received the welcome that they were denied. By far his favorite holiday of the year was the 4th of July and attending community celebrations that honored the birth of the nation.

He was a family man who enjoyed holiday gatherings. It was always his duty to carve the turkey or the ham. He always enjoyed time spent with family and his many loyal canine companions over the years.

He is survived by his wife, Linda; daughter Jill (Timothy) Cossette; son Todd (Sandra) Buchan; grandchildren Genevieve (fiancé Ryan Coleman) Cossette and Madelyn (Mitchell) Lambert and Matthew Buchan and Nicholas Buchan; brothers Jim (Margaret) Buchan and Cliff (Jeanne) Buchan; other relatives and friends.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Harley and Louise Buchan, and two infant sons.

A funeral service will be at 1 p.m., Saturday, July 9 at Washburn-McReavy Edina Chapel, 5000 W. 50th & Highway 100, Edina, with visitation from noon to 1 p.m. A graveside service will take place at 1 p.m., Sunday, July 10 at Inman Cemetery, Henning.

Memorials are preferred to the American Lung Association of Minnesota, 490 Concordia Ave., St. Paul, MN 55103.