Basic Information
| Field | Details |
|---|---|
| Full name | Richard Wayne Butala |
| Birth date | July 1, 1939 |
| Birth place | Los Angeles County, California |
| Death date | September 6, 2012 |
| Age at death | 73 |
| Primary residence | Whittier, California |
| Occupation | Businessperson, widely described as a Hughes Aircraft executive |
| Known for | Aerospace and business career, father of actress Jenna Elfman |
| Burial | Rose Hills Memorial Park, Chapel Hill Lawn, Whittier, California |
| Notable relatives | Jenna Mary Elfman née Butala, Tony Butala connection reported |
Biography and Career
Richard Wayne Butala’s public life is a quiet Hollywood and aerospace journal. His birth in Los Angeles County on July 1, 1939, occurred as aircraft and electronics were transforming American industry. Public records and family histories list him as a businessperson associated with Hughes Aircraft, which shaped Southern California’s aerospace character in the mid to late 20th century.
The most common descriptions are brief and consistent. Business executive rather than engineer, he manages and leads in high tech. The Hughes Aircraft affiliation in biographical notes suggests that his career was centered there, but published descriptions rarely list titles, divisions, or project credits. After moving to Whittier, he was buried at Rose Hills Memorial Park, a popular Southern California cemetery.
His passing on September 6, 2012 formalized the short list of public details attached to his name. In the years since, the biographical echo continues through memorial pages and family trees where his story is anchored by key dates and a brief occupational tag.
Family Ties: The Jenna-linked Cluster
In the best known rendering of his family life, Richard Wayne Butala is identified as the father of actress Jenna Elfman, born Jennifer Mary Butala in 1971. The connection appears across multiple biographical listings and celebrity profiles. In that cluster:
- Spouse: Sue Grace Butala is named as his wife.
- Children: Jenna Mary Elfman is named as his daughter.
- Extended family: Through Jenna’s marriage to Bodhi Elfman in 1995, Richard is positioned as father-in-law to Bodhi and grandfather to two boys, Story Elias Elfman and Easton Quinn Monroe Elfman.
This cluster is the one most visible to the broader public because Jenna’s entertainment career casts a light back onto her family. It is also the framework that explains why his name persists on biography mirrors and genealogy portals more than a decade after his death.
Conflicting Record: The Obituary Cluster
An additional obituary confuses matters. It mentions Richard Wayne Butala, a Whittier resident born July 1, 1939, and died September 6, 2012, buried at Rose Hills Memorial Park. His obituary lists Virginia Chapin Butala as his wife and two sons.
The two clusters blur in public indexing because the dates and burial site overlap. The public record does not indicate whether the obituary is of a different Richard Wayne Butala with identical life markers or whether biographical entries have confused familial data. Family trees are not easily formed from the data. Thus, keeping both groups together rather than forcing a single narrative is more responsible.
Parents and Ancestry: Two Conflicting Lines
Parentage is unclear. One genealogical entry lists Richard’s parents as John and Mary Butala. Another set lists Stanley Butala and Inez Myra Gleason. Public databases contain both pairs, creating a forked ancestry chart. Neither line is definitive without more documentation.
The relationship with Tony Butala, The Lettermen singer, is also unclear. Tony is Richard’s brother and Jenna’s uncle in different entries. Though family is portrayed as real, kinship terminology is inconsistent. If true, the relationship adds a modest but significant cultural footnote to the family saga.
Family Clusters at a Glance
| Cluster | Spouse | Children | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jenna-linked cluster | Sue Grace Butala | Jenna Mary Elfman née Butala | Most visible profile due to Jenna’s career and publicity |
| Obituary cluster | Virginia Chapin Butala | Two sons | Matches birth date, death date, city, and burial location |
| Reported relative | Tony Butala | Not applicable | Labeled as brother or uncle in different public entries |
Timeline
| Year or Date | Event |
|---|---|
| July 1, 1939 | Born in Los Angeles County, California |
| 1960s | Early career likely begins in aerospace or business in Southern California |
| By early 1970s | Public bios later describe him as a Hughes Aircraft executive |
| 1971 | Daughter Jenna Mary Butala is born in Los Angeles |
| 1970s to 1990s | Family records and biographical notes continue to connect his name to Hughes Aircraft and to Jenna |
| September 6, 2012 | Dies at age 73 |
| 2012 | Buried at Rose Hills Memorial Park, Chapel Hill Lawn, Whittier |
| 2018 to 2025 | Memorial pages and genealogy entries keep his profile in circulation |
Career Notes and Public Footprint
Richard Wayne Butala’s career is an illustration of how the aerospace industry rarely shares its secrets. The Hughes Aircraft summary line executive appears frequently, but public details are scarce. We lack press profiles, extensively mentioned interviews, and title histories. The contour remains, not the blueprint.
There are no financial facts either. No reliable public reports include salary, assets, or appraisals. His public legacy is genealogical, not pecuniary. The web tale combines a name, dates, firm affiliation, and a daughter who rose to fame.
Places and Markers
Richard’s story has concise place names. Beginning in Los Angeles County. Later residence is Whittier. Chapel Hill Lawn in Rose Hills Memorial Park is the final marker. These anchors are one of the few items duplicated across public entries regardless of family cluster.
Reading the Gaps
The gaps in the record teach as much as the facts. Aviation CEOs before social media left lighter public records. The main traces are family records. Conflicting spousal and parentage listings show how public databases can diverge when evidence is sparse or indexed from diverse sources. Thus, Richard Wayne Butala’s web presence illustrates modern memorialization. Our certainty is limited. What repeats consistently is easy. He was born 1939. He died 2012. He lived in Whittier. Associated with Hughes Aircraft. He is popularly known as Jenna Elfman’s father. A similar obituary mentions two sons and a different spouse. Other issues persist.
FAQ
Was Richard Wayne Butala Jenna Elfman’s father?
Yes, multiple public biographies identify him as the father of Jenna Elfman, born Jennifer Mary Butala in 1971.
Did he work at Hughes Aircraft?
Yes, he is repeatedly described as a Hughes Aircraft executive, although specific titles are not broadly documented.
When and where was he born?
He was born on July 1, 1939 in Los Angeles County, California.
When did he die?
He died on September 6, 2012 at the age of 73.
Where is he buried?
He is buried at Rose Hills Memorial Park in Whittier, California, in the Chapel Hill Lawn.
Who was his spouse?
Records conflict. One cluster names Sue Grace Butala, while a matching obituary names Virginia Chapin Butala.
Did he have children besides Jenna?
A separate obituary states he was survived by two sons, which conflicts with the Jenna-linked cluster.
Who are his grandchildren through Jenna?
Through Jenna’s marriage to Bodhi Elfman, the grandchildren named publicly are Story Elias Elfman and Easton Quinn Monroe Elfman.
Was he related to singer Tony Butala?
Some entries describe Tony Butala as Richard’s brother and others as Jenna’s uncle, but the exact relationship is inconsistently reported.
Who were his parents?
Parentage listings conflict between John and Mary Butala in one line and Stanley Butala and Inez Myra Gleason in another.
