Dateline: Great Bend, Kansas
Randy Ellis Button, 66, passed away December 31, 2021, at KU Medical Center, Kansas City, Kansas. He was born August 13, 1955, in Great Bend, to Robert E. and Peggy L. (Geil) Button. Randy married Renee Szarkowski on December 27, 2009 at Faith Community Church, Great Bend. He had previously been married to Sue Showalter, and they were later divorced.
Randy, a long-time resident of Great Bend, previously residing in Emporia and the Dallas area, was an occupational therapist for Larned State Hospital specializing in music therapy. His passion for music was expressed through his involvement in the Great Bend City Band, Prairie Winds Band, and various area jazz ensembles and church praise teams. He was a member of River of Life Foursquare Church and Faith Community Church.
Survivors include his wife, Renee Button, of the home; four children, James (Kelli) Button of Emporia, Michael (Holly) Button of Tulsa, OK, Laura (Daniel) Webster of Broken Arrow, OK, and Zachariah (Kellyn) Button of Merriam; three step-children, Danielle Gittings and Maria Germaine both of Las Vegas, NV, and Paul (Jessica) Widiger of Russell; three siblings, Robert "Rob" (RoAnn) Button of Great Bend, Debra (Bill) Hill of Bountiful, UT, and Judy (Jim) VonFeldt of Manhattan; and eleven grandchildren. Randy was preceded in death by his parents and his stepmother, Coralie (Niedens) Button.
Funeral service will be 2:00 p.m. Wednesday, January 5, 2022, at Faith Community Church, Great Bend, with Pastor Sandy Kennedy and Pastor David LeRoy presiding. A live stream of the service will be available on YouTube on the Faith CC page. Interment will follow at Hillcrest Memorial Park, Great Bend. Visitation will be from 12:00 to 8:00 p.m., Tuesday, January 4, at Bryant Funeral Home, with family receiving friends from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. The family has kindly requested that masks be worn for the service and visitation. Memorials may be given to Larned State Hospital (to benefit the Music Therapy Dept), in care of Bryant Funeral Home.