I was very surprised to hear of Ralph's passing. My thoughts and prayers go out to the Houghton Family. I will never forget Ralph's zest for life, and I will never forget what my dad said about him. "He was the kind of boss who would not just give orders from the sidelines and watch everyone else work. He would take down the chairs after Band O Rama right next to the band directors." Kenosha and the world of music education just lost an icon. We are all better off having known Ralph Houghton and his wonderful family.