Bruce P Budge

Bruce Budge passed away in the early morning of September 27. He was 96. He is survived by his wife of 74 years, Eleanor. Together they had three sons, Bruce, David and Kevin, 11 grandchildren and 10 great grandchildren. Bruce was especially known and loved for his wit, intelligence and devotion to family. He was a descendant on both sides of pioneers of Idaho and Montana and had a lifelong love for both states.

Bruce was born on April 2, 1930 in Moscow, Idaho, the son of Walter Littleton Budge and Doris Isabel (Penwell) Budge. He was predeceased by his older sister Patricia Mallory. He spent his early years primarily in Idaho, including on a small farm outside of Boise. Bruce was raised solely by his mother from the age of 11 and graduated from Moscow High School in 1948. He served one year in the US Navy after high school and in the Air Force Reserves during and after college. During his Navy duty, he became a Lutheran, which formed the basis of his faith for the rest of his life.

After the Navy, he began dating Eleanor Powell, and they were married on August 30, 1953. They graduated from the University of Idaho together. Among other jobs, Bruce was a bookkeeper during high school, which he enjoyed and which led him to a long and rewarding career in the field of accounting and finance. He held various professional accounting positions during his life, including a five-year period with Weyerhaeuser Company in Tacoma and Longview Washington.

Bruce moved to Minneapolis in 1960 where he earned his PhD in Accounting from the University of Minnesota in 1968. He served in the faculties of Augsburg College and the Universities of Minnesota, Idaho, Washington State and Montana. Bruce was named Chairman of the Department of Accounting and Finance at UM starting in 1981 and retired at the age of 74 in 2004. He deeply valued his time and associations with colleagues there, both within and outside of the Business School. He developed numerous cherished friendships while at Montana and was enthusiastically proud of his association with the Business School.

Bruce was active in Missoula’s Rotary Club and served as Rotary’s District Governor for the State of Montana during 1994-5. His duties as Montana District Governor included personally visiting every local Rotary club in the state, an experience he thoroughly enjoyed and which deepened his appreciation for Montana and its people.

Bruce was an entrepreneur and long-time principal owner in Conkling Park Marina on the south end of Coeur d’ Alene Lake.

He is remembered as a talented woodworker, and he designed and built numerous pieces of furniture during his lifetime as well as building and remodeling several homes. As a gift to his grandchildren, he wrote a substantial history of his and Eleanor’s families. Bruce loved western art, live performance theatre, RV camping, the Missoula arts scene, gym visits, and the scenic splendor of Western Montana.

Bruce’s funeral service will be held at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, 202 Brooks St., Missoula, at 11:00 am on Tuesday, October 6, followed by a reception at the church. Please send any remembrances in his name to the charity of your choice.