The Quiet Hero: Celebrating Hospice Volunteer and Vietnam Veteran Mike Buchanan

At Hospice of the Calumet Area, compassion is more than a value—it’s a way of life. And few embody that spirit more fully than Mike Buchanan.

For more than 20 years, Mike has faithfully arrived at our offices every Friday, quietly preparing admission packets for patients and families facing some of the most emotional moments of their lives. These packets are more than information. They are the first touch of comfort, guidance, and dignity we can offer as families begin their hospice journey. Mike prepares each one with the kind of care only someone who truly understands loss can give.

But Mike’s service doesn’t stop there. A humble Vietnam veteran, Mike, with his wonderful wife and volunteer Becky, also visit hospitals, long-term care facilities, and our William J. Riley Memorial Residence with his beloved Caring Canine therapy dog, Chloe. Together, they offer something that medicine alone cannot: joy, peace, and presence. Many times, Mike, Becky and Chloe leave a lasting imprint, or should we say, pawprint.

Mike’s kindness reaches beyond our Hospice walls.

Last November, my 8-year-old daughter Monica struggled during her Piefer Elementary Veterans Day program while facing life without "Grandpa Hon." Hon never missed the opportunity to proudly attend the event. She was sad that she would not have a special guest.

Mike Buchanan humbly stepped in.

He sat in the crowd, becoming the person she could salute, hug, and honor in Hon's absence. And when my eighth grade Clark Middle School son Anthony was asked to play Taps on his trumpet in tribute, Mike experienced it with pride in his eyes—not just as a veteran, but as an adopted grandfather, helping grieving children find a measure of peace and comfort.

These are not grand gestures for Mike. They are simply part of who he is.

Mike is more than volunteer. He is the soul of our mission. His compassion carries people through grief, his quiet strength lifts us through sorrow, and his presence reminds us that love doesn’t end.

Oftentimes, Mike and I enjoy sharing stories about how we playfully tormented our fathers and the countless memories they created for each of us. I cherish every day with Mike Buchanan and my Friday mornings wouldn't be the same without his signature greeting, "What do you know, young man?"

Mike Buchanan shows us all what it means to Cherish Life—not just in how we live, but in how we serve, how we remember, and how we love.

Damian Rico is the director of marketing and community relations for Hospice of the Calumet Area. The opinions are the writer's.