Robert Leonard Boughton

Robert Leonard Boughton was born March 22, 1930 in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. Having the rare good fortune of growing up in the Great Depression with two college educated parents, he did well as a student. He starred in track with many middle-distance medals to show for his efforts. Although the full truth is probably lost to history, many believe it was during this period that Bob developed an incurable case of bad puns, which flared up frequently throughout his life.

The family moved fairly frequently, ending up in Utah by the time Bob finished high school. Influenced by his mother's musical background, he graduated Cum Laude with a degree in music in 1952 from Westminster College in Salt Lake City, Utah. He then combined the influences of both parents, completing a Bachelor of Divinity and a Master of Arts in Sacred Music in 1956 at San Francisco Theological Seminary.

It was in his first job out of college as a Minister of Music in Anchorage, Alaska, where Bob met his future wife, Mary. Her interest, tempered by patience and grace, drew his attention, and sparked a romance that lasted 63 years. He sang to his bride at their wedding in Sherman, Texas on October 27, 1957, and they moved to Kansas where they started a family. Three kids later - Johanna, Scott, and Stuart, with Elizabeth to be added shortly - they picked up shop and moved to Albuquerque.

At Menaul, a small private Christian High School where Bob had accepted a position as music teacher, he and the family quickly became involved in its close-knit community. His work responsibilities ranged from standard teaching duties, to whatever else happened to come up. He taught everything from voice to guitar to piano to hand bells. When he wasn't teaching others, he taught himself to make guitars, which he then taught to others. He produced and directed works including Fiddler on the Roof and Don Quixote. He led the choral group he directed on road trip tours both near and far, as an ambassador for Menaul, sometimes even serving stints as a bus driver. Bob also brought a unique sense of style to the Menaul campus by sporting sideburns that put him somewhere on the spectrum between John Lennon and a pub brawler.

He sometimes brought his work home, such as by putting a net across the dining table and inviting students over to play ping pong with his kids. He sometimes brought his family to work, such as by including them on a choral tour to California and Disneyland.

Through all of this, Bob somehow managed to find time for just the family. He sang to his wife, taught his kids to swim, and played football and softball with them in the yard. At Christmas he took everyone to the mountains to search out the best tree, and a short, original poem served as the label on each gift to Mary. There were long road trips to visit the grandparents, yearly camping trips to Ghost Ranch, and frequent explorations of the wide variety New Mexico had to offer. The occasion of sleepily putting peaches in his morning coffee instead of sugar provided a hint that even he had his limits.

After parting ways with Menaul, he directed the music program at Las Placitas Presbyterian Church for several years, and even though he retired professionally, Bob could never retire from his passion for music. He and Mary sang in the UNM chorale, affording them the opportunity to perform in Europe and the Middle East. After moving to Manzano del Sol retirement village, Bob organized and directed a handbell group composed of the local residents. As the Parkinson's symptoms eventually took away his ability to perform and direct, Bob maintained his connection to music by just listening. Music was part of him.

Bob didn't spend much time at center stage, but his actions from large to small... words of comfort, a warm smile, a supportive hug, and a lifetime of service, left the unmistakable notice that Bob carried the soul of a profoundly good man. His passing on January 25, 2021 may have been hidden in the midst of a pandemic, but the impact of his life on others is a lasting song.

Bob is survived by his children, Johanna Stackpole (Butch, deceased), Scott Boughton (Yan), Stuart Boughton (Edith) and Elizabeth Bennett (Doug); his grandchildren, Katrina (Danny), James, and Joseph Stackpole, Alex Bennett (Kate), and Jordan Colvin (Taylor), and Yiming Zhu; and his great grandchildren, Seth and Hailey Perez Rul, Quinn Bennett, and Parker and Asher Colvin.

Memorial Service for the Rev. Robert L. Boughton

There will be a Memorial Service in celebration of the life of the Rev. Robert L. Boughton live-streamed from St. Andrew Presbyterian Church at www.standrewabq.org on Friday, February 26, at 1:00 p.m. (The memorial service will also be recorded.) We ask that only immediate family attend the service in person. Everyone else is asked to please participate from home via the live-streamed service, so that our numbers in the sanctuary can be kept to a minimum.