Obituary of CDR Roland Henry "Bunky" Boughton, USCG (Ret)

CDR Roland Henry "Bunky" Boughton, USCG (Ret)

Roland Henry "Bunky" Boughton, 83, a man whose laughter filled every room and whose love filled every life he touched, passed away peacefully May 30th after a long illness.

Born in Indianapolis Indiana, February 22, 1943 to Betty Dougherty Fernandes and Roland Maurice Boughton, he spent his formative years in Naugatuck CT. After graduating from Naugatuck High School, he attended the United States Merchant Marine Academy at Kings Point. He gave twenty proud years of service to the United States Coast Guard, serving in many capacities including as an engineer and in marine inspection. During his tenure with the Coast Guard, he earned his MBA at Pace University. Upon retirement from the Coast Guard, he turned his talents to a second career at Chubb Insurance, spending another twenty years in loss control and information technology.

Bunky was a true renaissance man and never met a hobby he didn't like. Varied and interesting, they ranged from raising goats and rabbits, to stained glass making, playing the dulcimer, training dogs, computer science, boating, golf and classical music. Whatever the interest, Bunky immersed himself in it, learning all there was to know with singular purpose. And music was a theme that stitched its way through his life—he contributed his beautiful tenor voice to many choirs and church groups over the years.

Civic-minded, Bunky was the kind of neighbor and citizen who showed up — working with Literacy Volunteers of America, Atlantic Visiting Nurse Hospice, and volunteering to do taxes for AARP. He lived a life rooted in faith and service to others.

Above all, Bunky was a family man. He treasured nothing more than time with his children and grandchildren. His greatest love, held close for sixty remarkable years, was his wife Mary-beth. Their marriage was a testament to what enduring love looks like — built on shared laughter, unwavering devotion, and a life woven beautifully together. They were never known to exchange a cross word, and spent their lives modeling partnership in every sense of the word.

Roland is survived by his beloved wife of 60 years, Mary-beth; his children Kelly Michaud (Greg), Brendan Boughton (Vicki) Leigh Mai Small (Jeff) and John Boughton (Kimmy), his twelve grandchildren: Adrienne, Cameron, Madeline, Lucas, Caitlin, Maegan, Connor, Jack, Griffin, Audrey, John, and Joshua; his two great-grandchildren: Kennedy and Hudson, his sister Juanita Fernandes, brother Michael Boughton, sister-in-law Nancy-jo Funaro and Harold Coombs who he loved as a son. He was predeceased in death by his parents, step-father Manuel Fernandes, brother-in-law Joseph Funaro and dearest family friend Thomas Brennan. The family would like to thank Keisha Salmon for her wonderful care and compassion during the last years of his life.

Bunky's Life Celebration Services will include a Visitation on Sunday, June 7th from 4:00 to 7:00 pm at Leber-Lakeside Funeral Home, 150 Landing Road, Landing, NJ 07850. There will be a Funeral Mass offered on Monday, June 8th, 11:00 am at St. Matthew The Apostle RC Church at 335 Dover Chester Rd, Randolph, NJ. Family and friends are invited to meet directly at the church on Monday morning. All services are entrusted to the Leber-Lakeside Funeral Home of Landing, NJ.

To honor his life and legacy, in lieu of flowers please consider a donation to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, an organization near and dear to his heart. (www.stjude.org)