Andree Louise De Puttere, 97, died Wednesday, December 18, 2024, in Huntsville, Alabama. She was the daughter of Alice Georgette Anna Fonteyn and Albert Gaston De Puttere of Brussels, Belgium. Andree grew up in Brussels, Belgium, where she met and married Charles Graham Buchanan in December of 1946, after the end of WWII. He preceded her in death in October of 1997. They had lived in Winston Salem and Asheville, North Carolina, but mainly reared their family in Chattanooga, Tennessee. In 1958 and ’59, Andree became a French Teacher at Lookout Mountain Elementary School in Chattanooga. Such an endeavor as this was unheard of in the U.S. at that time.
She had also worked as an Assistant in Advertising for a Chattanooga Department Store during this time. Andree’s life was very devoted to dogs—especially German Shepherds (25 of them). She took her dogs through several Obedience Training Degrees and was always very proud of them.
Upon moving to Houston, Texas, in 1962, she worked as a Dental Assistant for 7 years. She left Houston for an opportunity to live in Moscow, Russia, from 1970 to 1975, where she acquired many beautiful European Antiques. Upon returning to Belgium in 1976, to help her widowed mother, Andree spent approximately 25 years in Waterloo, Belgium. There she volunteered for the Sans Collier (Dogs Without a Collar) Organization to help inform the Public of Cruelty to Animals used in Medical Experimentations, and aide as many stray dogs as possible.
Graham and Andree were the proud parents of Diane Buchanan Maywhort, of Aurora, Colorado, and Michele Buchanan Sneed, as well as former son-in-law, Rankin Sneed, of Huntsville, Alabama.
Survivors to Andree include a grandson, Christopher Blair Maywhort of Parker, Colorado; a granddaughter, Andrea Claire Maywhort Scully and her husband Brian of Larkspur, California; a granddaughter, Marydae Sneed Blank and her husband Ben, of Huntsville, Alabama; and a grandson, Andrew Guyton Rankin Sneed and his wife Bethany, of Huntsville, Alabama. She was also a Great-Grandmother to Kendall Grace Maywhort of Parker, Colorado; Fiona Collette Scully and Vivienne Isla Scully of Larkspur, California; Virginia Harrison, Frances Goodlow and Marylane Rutland Sneed of Huntsville, Alabama; and Sarah Collins Blank of Huntsville, Alabama.
Plans for a Family Gathering in February of 2025 are being considered in Honor of Andree.
