After many years bringing music into the hearts of many of us, Dave Buness departed on Nov. 23 to direct the great choir in the sky. He passed peacefully, with his wife Fay and son Steve by his side, at Edgewood Senior Living in Helena. Dave was 88 years old.
Dave was born a farmboy in Powers Lake, ND. He was the middle child and the only boy among five sisters, a full house for his folks David and Mildred Buness. Dave always chafed at being called “Junior.”
Dave got his bachelor’s in music from Minot State College in North Dakota, then dove into his first teaching job at White Shield, ND. He was activated during the 1961 Berlin Crisis by the Army National Guard, where he attended medic school and learned drafting.
Crisis resolved, he moved to Montana to pursue a Master of Music Education degree at the University of Montana, where he always said his greatest accomplishment was meeting the love of his life, Fay Gonsior, in the library. He kept asking her out, and when she finally said yes his heart sang. When she met his North Dakota family and felt the love they shared, Fay’s heart sang too. They married Dec. 28, 1965, at First Methodist Church in Missoula.
The newlyweds moved to Glasgow, MT, where he worked as band director on the Air Force Base. They then moved back to Missoula, with baby Jennifer in tow, so he could pursue his doctorate. He then moved the family to Helena, where he was first choral director at C.R. Anderson School and later built the choral program at Capital High School. He also took on directing the Helena Symphony Chorale, with Fay singing soprano, and St Paul’s United Methodist Church Choir, with Fay accompanying on piano and organ.
Against this musical background Dave and Fay built their family, with the arrival of daughter Megan followed a tempo by Steve. Dave designed and built a beautiful house for his family among the hills and horse pastures of Clancy.
After teaching in the Helena school system for 19 years, directing the Helena Symphony Chorale for 25 years, and directing the church choir for 40 years, Dave retired. This gave him time to start “Dave’s Remodeling,” with fellow retiree Norm Brunken. Their decks, projects and handiwork are visible all over Helena. Retirement also meant more time for the tireless farm boy to cultivate a garden that is the envy of the neighborhood.
In his spare time Dave played tuba in the New Horizons Band and the Capital City Summer Band, created woodworking projects, and restored a 1928 Model A Ford. And he and Fay loved spontaneous road trips through the majestic beauty of Montana — from the Beartooth Highway to Glacier Park, or just a jaunt to Butte for lunch. Dave was always first to spot deer and other wildlife and found a beautiful sight worth pulling over for.
Dave’s professional achievements include serving as music supervisor for the Helena School Districts, president of the Montana State Choral Directors, president of the Montana State Music Educators Association, board member of the Helena Boy Choir, and a proud member of Civitans. He also loved organizing overseas tours with the Helena and Butte Symphony Chorales, and was a frequent adjudicator for District and State Music Festivals.
Perhaps his greatest professional achievement, though, was doing it all with skill, wisdom, and good humor. And for his family and his many friends, Dave was the resonant bass line that added depth and a lively beat to the music of our lives.
Dave was preceded in death by his parents, Carole (Fred) Barenthsen, Ardyce (Avin) Enget, Delight (Charles), Macias (Bill Schroeder) and Dawn (Dave) Brenno. He is survived by his wife Fay, daughters Jennifer Dunn, Megan Buness (Michael Casteel), and son Steven Buness; grandchildren Dacia Horne, Ryan Buness, and Faith Casteel; and sister Sandra Buness, as well as nieces, nephews and cousins.
There will be a memorial service announced at a later date. Please visitwww.aswfuneralhome.com to offer a condolence to the family or to share a memory of David.
