Thomas Coke Buchanan

Coke was an artist, a writer, visionary and idea man, a brother, son, father and husband. He grew up in Greenway Parks and north Dallas on Stonegate Drive, which he shared with his parents, three sisters and an array of pets; including Hrothgar - a unique runt-of-the-litter white shepherd (the best dog ever!) – and a house that was always filled with kids, family and sundry other folk. Coke was funny, generous, optimistic and always had a story to tell. Many of the stories revolved around the “Stonegate Days”. He had occasion to recount several of these stories around the dinner table the night he passed away. He struck up conversations with people everywhere he went and tried to coax smiles from all he met.

Coke met his wife, Bonita Siler, in the eighth grade. They became high school sweethearts and that never changed throughout their 42 years of marriage. They married on 22 August 1976. He had five best friends growing up and instead of choosing who among them to honor as his Best Man, he chose all five with the ring carried by the last friend to walk down the aisle. When the time came, the ring was passed from one to the next until it reached Coke, who then placed it on Bonita’s finger.

They had two daughters, Briana Rinehart Buchanan and Kate Carolyn DeVoy Buchanan. They were his joy and he was so very proud of them and their accomplishments.

Coke was the problem solver, the voice of reason, the negotiator and the mediator. He lived a life full of service to others and his life theme revolved around helping others to accomplish transitions, whether on the physical, mental or spiritual planes of life. He kept his family and his sisters close, and always had everyone over for Christmas, Easter, Birthdays, Cowboy games, or just because…he was the patriarch and loved being surrounded by those he loved.

He attended Longfellow Elementary, T.J. Rusk Junior High and Thomas Jefferson High School. He went on to SMU and then North Texas University, as it was called at the time. He received his Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of North Texas and was co-founder of the UNT chapter of Alpha Delta Sigma. He later sought his Master of Arts in Consciousness Studies at the University of Philosophical Studies.

Coke began his community service at age 19, volunteering with Big Brothers of America and the I Have A Dream Foundation. He served on the Board of Advisors for Chuck Norris and his Kick-Start organization, which focused on changing the destiny of at-risk children, where he created and co-chaired the Chuck Norris Martial Arts Festival. He has consulted with non-profit organizations such as: Chapel of Hope, Exodus Ministries, Heroes for Humanity, Adopt-A-Soldier Now, Grace Unlimited, Project Palette, and Matthew and Matilda Crowley Institute for Preventive Medicine. This year he helped re-organize and co-chair the Oak Cliff Earth Day event, along with his sister Lybo Buchanan and Memnosyne.

Prior to his move to the nonprofit arena, Coke enjoyed a successful 26-year career in telecommunications, beginning as an Account Executive with Southwestern Bell/AT&T and ending with his work at Source, Inc., where he established, developed and managed corporate and government sales initiatives.

Coke served as Director of communications for Larry Howard and the JFK Assassination Information Center as Editor of Dateline Dallas, a newsletter focused on further investigation into the assassination. During this time, he met and interviewed many people having first-hand knowledge and participation in activities surrounding the happenings on and around November 22, 1963. He met and co-authored the book Nightmare in Dallas with Beverly Oliver, which told her story as an eyewitness to President Kennedy’s assassination.

He later served as Director of Business Development and senior writer for Bob Hopkins’ Philanthropy WORLD magazine communicating “Good News” and the value of giving to communities in need; financially, spiritually or by volunteering. To promote dialog and collaboration in the nonprofit industry among executive directors in the Dallas area, he established the “Executive Director Connection”.

Belita Nelson called on Coke to support the creation and framework for the Starfish Foundation, her passionate calling to support addicted individuals by providing appropriate treatment placement.

As co-founder of Memnosyne Institute, Coke helped establish the organization, articulate its vision, build its unique framework, design its logo and recruit its diverse staff with Mary Ann and Joshua Thompson-Frenk. He was its first Executive Director, and later changed to specialize as the Director for three of Memnosyne’s seven centers, including the Center for Indigenous Cultures, where he accomplished several historical achievements serving indigenous communities; instrumental in forging the first treaty in 300 years between Hopi and Navajo nations via the Hopi and Navajo Alliance, which prevents the tribes from being taken advantage of by coal companies; helping to negotiate with the Aspen Historical Society/City of Aspen/Aspen Center for Environmental Studies and Ute nation to form the first agreement achieving the rewriting of historical markers in Colorado to reflect and acknowledge the Ute as having existed in the area before European settlers.

Three times again he made history by taking a major role in negotiating with the Menil Collection to collaborate with the Maori from New Zealand, bringing back their knowledge of music and traditional healing based on artifacts the museum had; negotiating with the DeYoung Museum to acknowledge the existence of the Tolteca community, resulting in Mexico’s adherence to the United Nation’s agreement granting their community the human rights promised to indigenous communities.

Coke was also instrumental in helping to negotiate with Maya and Tolteca leaders to reestablish their relationship for the first time in 500 years. He helped reunite the Hopi Nation with the Tolteca, two cultures with common origins, for the first time since their separation. He took a lead role in the creation of the International Summit on Indigenous Environmental Philosophy, resulting in the Redstone Statement, an agreement between indigenous leaders and environmentalists from around the world. He also had a major role in providing food for the Hopi Nation during an unforeseen famine.

Coke was responsible for overseeing the launch of two cultural center campuses in Mexico and took an active role in supporting the recent Standing Rock protest by collecting provisions for their legal defense to adapt to subfreezing temperatures.

As Director of the Center for Spirituality, Coke worked closely with multiple universities, museums, scientists, musicians and religious institutions in Dallas and Houston to form the Sacred Geometry Renaissance, exploring applications of sacred geometry from architecture, metaphysics, quantum physics to biomimicry, music and more.

As Director for Global and Local Outreach, Coke was instrumental in hosting the Liberian community in New York, resulting in the greatest number of USA Liberian refugees testifying for the Liberian Truth and Reconciliation Commission; designing and overseeing the School-Out-Of-A-Box program aimed at bringing higher education to the poorest regions of the world. He helped negotiate with Dr. Don E. Beck and Barbra Marx Hubbard, combining their work in the formation of the Vital Signs Monitor, aimed at helping nations worldwide achieve the United Nations Sustainability Development Goal. Locally, he hosted events in support of the LGBT community and other human rights issues. Most recently he worked closely with leadership in Memnosyne’s Center for the Environment, along with his sister, Lybo Buchanan, to combine Oak Cliff Earth Day with the Run for the Environment.

As a prolific writer, he published articles in Memnosyne’s “Empower Journal” highlighting human rights issues and, most recently, was one of only three Texans to receive the intensive non-violent protest training and serving as a state-wide volunteer leader in The Poor People’s Campaign, where he was pulling on the years of connections gained from the diverse communities he served via Memnosyne, to help launch the campaign in Texas.

Aside from these significant, and often historical achievements, Coke was an avid volunteer, frequently stepping in to support the other Memnosyne Centers in their outreach endeavors - both physically and mentally - with a contagious, loving and passionate enthusiasm that inspired all who knew him.

There will be an international gathering, “A Celebration of An Extraordinary Life: Coke Buchanan” next Thursday, June 7th, 7:30pm, at the Cathedral of Hope Chapel. Many people from The Poor People’s Campaign and Native American community will be there and we invite those with interest to attend and celebrate his life with us.

Coke is survived by his wife, Bonita Siler Buchanan, daughters Briana Buchanan and Kate Buchanan; sisters Lybo Lynn Buchanan and Viki Adele Buchanan Reynolds; nephew Jackson Buchanan Reynolds, and brother-in-law H. Lee Kelton. He was pre-deceased by both parents, beloved sister Jann Buchanan and brother-in-law Stuart Reynolds.