Harrison "Bud" Boughton

Harrison “Bud” Charles Boughton, age 92 passed away on Friday, September 27, 2024. He was born February 22, 1932, to Harrison Hart Boughton and Edna Lenore (Staudenmaier) Boughton in Chicago, Illinois. They moved a few months later to the family farm in Ida Grove, Iowa, where he lived until college. Bud attended Iowa State Teachers College (now Univ. of Northern Iowa) on basketball and music scholarships. He was drafted into the Army his sophomore year and was at Thule Air Base in Greenland where he was a chaplain’s assistant and played jazz piano at the Officer’s Club at night. Bud returned to college where he met Patricia Brown, a piano major. They married June 8, 1958. He started his career in 1959 as a Professor of choral and vocal music at William Jewel College and Evansville University before coming to Wichita University in 1961. Bud obtained his Master’s degree at University of Denver and Doctorate from UMKC. At WSU, he taught many students in choir, madrigals, voice and conducting, taking several choirs to tour Europe and South America. He established the WSU tradition of Madrigal Candlelight Christmas concerts and the Renaissance Madrigal Feast. Bud was involved in many choral and music professional organizations, receiving many awards, recognition and accolades for his work, retiring in 2000 after 40 years at WSU. He was also the adult choir director at Holy Cross Lutheran Church for 4+ decades.

Bud lived a long and productive life always with a positive attitude and a zest for life. He loved to do anything related to music, traveling, snow skiing, fishing and spending time with family and friends. Bud didn’t know a stranger, had a great sense of humor and could make any situation fun. He loved life and saw the good in everyone.

He was preceded in death by his parents; sister, Sonia George; and nephews, Brian Kahl and Jay Boughton.

Bud is survived by wife of 66 years, Pat; daughters, Monica (Bob) Allen, Stephanie (Kevin) Werner; son, Michael Boughton; grandchildren, Matthew Allen, Sarah (Jerraldo) Chavez, Alysa (Mark) Androes and Megan (Alex) Fletcher; 3 great-grandsons; brother, Steve Boughton; as well as nieces and nephews.

In his words: “It is impossible to imagine a profession that would have been more satisfying and fulfilling than the combination of working with students and making music. Those of you that know me realize that whatever success I may have enjoyed was due to the following: help from above; a very talented, supportive, and loving wife; an understanding family; and hundreds of gifted and committed students. My thanks to the students with whom I have worked for the past 40 years. You have added a joy and dimension to my life that cannot be measured, and that is a rare thing in any profession. It is my hope and prayer that I may have touched your lives in a way that added positively to your musical and personal growth.”

A Celebration of Life Service for Bud, will be held at 2:00 p.m., Saturday, October 19th, with family greeting prior from 1:00-2:00, at Holy Cross Lutheran Church, 600 N. Greenwich, Wichita. A reception will follow, further information will be provided at the service.

For those unable to make it in person, Bud's service will be live-streamed through Holy Cross Lutheran Church at https://www.youtube.com/live/jkRq9jz6yVw?si=fF2rm7-xJ0y1jH1p

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions in Bud's memory may be made to the Harrison “Bud” Boughton Memorial for WSU Fine Arts, c/o WSU Foundation, 1845 Fairmount, Campus Box 2, Wichita, Kansas 67260-0002, https://foundation.wichita.edu/memorials-honors/ And/Or the Holy Cross Lutheran Adult Choir Fund, c/o Holy Cross Lutheran Church, 600 N. Greenwich Road, Wichita, Kansas, 67206.