John Cowan Buchanan Sr., known to almost everyone as “Jack,” was born on July 16, 1936, in Detroit, Michigan and passed away in Scottsdale, Arizona on May 21, 2026. Parents William D. and Elizabeth L. Buchanan raised him on a hobby farm in Plymouth, Michigan, and his love of animals and entrepreneurship sprouted at an early age. His Toy Fox Terrier and loyal friend, Shiner, sat on the curb every afternoon waiting for him to return from school. Every day, Jack would ride his horse, Frisky, on open trails. By 14, Jack had started his first business, selling fruits and vegetables at Eastern Market in Detroit, and by 16, he reconditioned older televisions and resold them. If it had wheels, wings, hulls, or fur, there was a good chance Jack was interested in it.
During college, Jack worked as an investigator for his dad and uncle’s trial law firm before heading to law school himself. He met his wife, Sheila (née Olman), in those years, and knew instantly he’d better not let her get away. They married in 1961. Together, they raised three children, Jack Jr., Rob, and Jane. His zest for life was infectious, and he created constant adventures for his family. He led by example, teaching them how to snow-ski (where he earned the affectionate nickname “The Silver Bullet”), fly, water-ski, scuba-dive, ride motorcycles, boat on the Great Lakes and in the North Channel, and travel widely and often.
As a trial lawyer, Jack worked at Cholette, Perkins & Buchanan, a prominent defense firm in Grand Rapids. Eventually, he went out on his own and formed Buchanan & Bos. Firm alumni, whom Jack mentored, became judges and prominent lawyers and carried forward his professionalism, preparation, and respect for the craft of trial law. In his later years, Jack practiced law in a boutique firm (Buchanan Firm) with Rob and Jane, who also caught the family bug and went into law.
In 1992, while also running a successful law firm, Jack started the International Society of Primerus Law Firms and served as its President and CEO until the day he died. His mission was to preserve the integrity, quality, and civility of the practice of law, which he found to be a noble calling and essential to a peaceful society. Jack’s curiosity and entrepreneurial streak extended beyond the practice of law. Over the years, he owned a steel supply company, launched a private aviation service center and airplane dealership at Gerald R. Ford International Airport, developed commercial real estate, and bought and sold classic cars. He never viewed retirement as a particularly compelling idea.
As an attorney, Jack meticulously honed his craft, trying over 200 jury trials. His skills earned him admission into the American Board of Trial Advocates, American College of Trial Lawyers, and International Academy of Trial Lawyers. Many judges and lawyers said they had never seen a more skilled cross-examiner. After one deposition of a medical defense expert, Jack so thoroughly dismantled the expert’s opinion that the witness shook Jack’s hand, gave him a business card, and said that if he ever needed an attorney, he’d be calling him.
When Jack tried a case, he memorized the names and personal details of every person in the jury pool, astonishing prospective jurors and scaring his opponents. He always knew the facts of his case cold. During closing arguments, jurors hung on his every word, believing there was no other way to view the case. He loved trying cases, and juries trusted him. Throughout his career, he generously mentored younger lawyers and led by steady example. He also possessed the rare ability to be competitive in court and kind outside of it.
While some people define themselves by their work, Jack did not. Outside the law practice, he had an infectious enthusiasm for hobbies. He earned his pilot’s license at 23 and enjoyed flying Beechcraft Bonanzas, a hand-propped Piper Cub, and sailplanes. He enjoyed adopting and driving classic cars, especially those built between 1929 and 1956 that reminded him of the roads and neighborhoods of his childhood. He relived those memories by keeping horses as pets, spending summer weekends on his boat in Northern Michigan, and running O Gauge model trains on a layout that recreated Michigan in the 1940s, complete with a Ford manufacturing plant and the dunes of Cat Head Bay near Northport. He was a very good pool player and could occasionally clear the table before anyone else got a turn. And Jack loved to travel with Sheila. Through Primerus, they met attorneys and clients from all over the world and formed lifelong friendships along the way.
Jack’s zest for life likely came from the fact that he understood how fragile it could be. At 34, Jack was diagnosed with Stage IV melanoma. During surgery, the cancer doctor told Sheila to get their affairs in order because Jack would likely be dead within the year. Thanks to a new “experimental treatment” in Buffalo, New York called chemotherapy, Jack beat the odds. He survived a second bout of cancer a few years later. He was also scheduled to be a passenger on the ill-fated Northwest Airlines Flight 255 on August 16, 1987, from Detroit to Phoenix, but instead pulled his luggage and boarded an earlier American Airlines flight. Decades later, he survived a fiery car crash during a severe ice storm in 2023, when his car became stranded at the base of a steep hill and an oncoming pickup crossed the centerline.
If a life well lived stems from gratitude, Jack appreciated every single day. He inspired people with his upbeat attitude, smile, curiosity, and genuine enthusiasm for living.
Jack is survived by his loving wife, Sheila, who was his best friend, the steady hand behind countless details, and his loyal advocate whenever a health concern threatened to slow him down. He is also survived by his three children, Jack Jr. (Sherry), Rob (Mary) and Jane (Ray III), ten grandchildren, Johnny (Caressa), Cam (Marissa), Marlee Boyle (Dugan), Winston, Katie Kelly (Matt), Ellie, Ray IV, Brooke, Sarah, and Harry, three great grandchildren Henry, Annie, and Julian, and brothers Bill and Tom. To his family, he was simply “Pa.”
And to them, few lessons mattered more than the ones he lived every day: stay curious, work hard, laugh often, and never waste the time you are given.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to the Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research (Mayo Clinic) or Feeding America.
Mass of Christian Burial will take place at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, June 6, 2026, at St. Robert of Newminster Catholic Church, 6477 Ada Dr. SE, Ada, MI 49301, with Visitation one hour prior and lunch to follow. Fr. Tony Russo and Deacon Phil Green presiding.