John L."Buddy"Boudreaux

John Landry ""Buddy"" Boudreaux, a big band and jazz musician who entertained generations of Louisianans, passed away at Our Lady of the Lake Hospital in Baton Rouge on Saturday, June 13, at age 97. From his early teens into his 90s, he directed and played saxophone and clarinet in a number of bands that toured the southern United States and drew nationally known performers to Baton Rouge. The State-Times newspaper called him ""the city's sound of big band."" He is co-author of ""My Baton Rouge,"" which in 1998 was declared the city's official song. The best known of his bands was the 16-piece Buddy Lee Orchestra. A native of Donaldsonville, he moved to Baton Rouge with his family as a child, graduated from Baton Rouge High School, attended Louisiana State University and played in the Tiger Marching Band. During World War II he served in the U.S. Army Air Forces in Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia and Italy. He finished his studies on the G.I. Bill, earning a bachelor's degree in business administration at the University of California, Berkeley. His day job until 1980 was at the Standard Oil (now Exxon Mobile) refinery and chemical plant complex in Baton Rouge, where he retired as senior supervisor of the Financial Analysis and Reporting Operations Analysis sections. He was a leader of Local 538 of the American Federation of Musicians, a parishioner of Our Lady of Mercy Catholic Church, a founding member of the Louisiana Octogenarian Golf Team, and the father of four Eagle Scouts. An extensive biography can be found on Wikipedia athttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddy_Boudreaux" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddy_Boudreaux">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddy_BoudreauxVisitation will be at Rabenhorst Funeral Home East, 11000 Florida Blvd., on Saturday, June 20, from 10 a.m. until services at the funeral home at 1 p.m., officiated by Deacon Richard Grant. Interment, with Military Honors by Keesler Air Force Base, will follow on the grounds of Greenoaks Memorial Park. Buddy is survived by his wife of 67 years, Ruth Bowman Suthon Boudreaux; a brother, Robert Shirley Boudreaux; sons Richard Lee Boudreaux, John Landry Boudreaux Jr., Ronald Charles Boudreaux and Jeffrey Lynn Boudreaux; daughters-in-law Candice Hughes and Jan Will Boudreaux; grandchildren Allison Walden, Josephine Boudreaux and Jeremy John Boudreaux; grandsons-in-law Chris Walden and Evan Weinberg; great-grandchildren Luke and Lillian Walden; and numerous nieces and nephews. He is preceded in death by his parents, Edward Lawrence Boudreaux and Rena Marie Landry Boudreaux; and two brothers, Monsignor Edward Lawrence Boudreaux and Richard Lee Boudreaux. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Our Lady of Mercy Catholic Church, the Baton Rouge High School Foundation, or the Louisiana State University Tiger Marching Band/TAF.