Mr. Ray Laffin's Professional Biography
Raymond E. Laffin graduated from Warren Central High
School, Indianapolis in 1949. He earned a Bachelor of Science and a Master of
Science degrees in Music Education from Butler University. Between January 1952
and January 1954, Ray served in the United States Army during the Korean War and
became Administrative First Sergeant of the Seventh Armored Division Band in
California. He was the Director of Bands and Choir director at New Palestine
High School and in 1963, became the Director of Bands and Music Department
Chairperson at Creston Junior High School in MSD Warren Township, Indianapolis
for the next 28 years. He also served as music supervisor for Warren Township
and retired from public school music education in June of 1991. Ray and his wife
moved to Brown County to retire in 1996 and has been the Director of the Brown
County Community Band for the past six years. He is also the director of the
Brown County Community Choir.
Ray has been an adjudicator of music organizations in Ohio, Kentucky, Illinois
and Indiana. He also organized the first Indiana State Marching Contest and has
been a guest conductor of Junior High School Concert Bands in Kentucky,
Wisconsin and all-Regional Bands in Indiana.
He is a lifetime member of the Musicians Union as a professional percussionist,
a retired member of the American School Band Directors Association, Indiana
Music Educators Association and is Past President of the Warren Education
Association. He is also a Past President of Phi Beta Mu, an Honorary Bandmasters
Fraternity. He is currently the State Secretary and Treasurer of Gamma Chapter,
Phi Beta Mu. Ray was also elected to the Hall of Fame of Phi Beta Mu.
Ray retired as a music educator after 35 years of teaching. He is married to
Judyth Laffin, also a Butler graduate and the librarian of the Brown County
Community Band. She also is the founder and and chairperson of the GED program
at the Brown County Jail. They have five children and five grandchildren.
Ray and Judy are also an active members of St. David’s Episcopal Church. He is
the assistant director of the church choir. He is a past president of the Brown
County Lions Club, The Brown County Historical Society and is currently the
president of the Brown County Retired Teachers Association. Ray organized the
Lion’s Club Breakfast Fund Raising project in 1999. He also was chairman of the
Spring Blossom Parade for three years. He is currently a member of the Board of
Directors for the Jackson Township Volunteer Fire Department. Recently, Ray was
elected to the Board of Directors of the Brown County Habitat for Humanity and
has participated in the construction of Habitat homes in Brown County.