William James Butler

Savannah

William James Butler died on Friday, May 1, 2015 under the care of Hospice Savannah.  He was born May 3, 1929 in Hartford, CT and lived in Wethersfield, CT until he moved to The Landings, Skidaway Island, Savannah, GA in the spring of 1997.

He was preceded in death by his first wife of 45 years, Priscilla Boyd Sprague Butler, and his parents George Frederick (Fred) Butler and Marie Eglantine (Peg) Bouchard Butler.  Surviving are his loving wife, Anita Winslow Coleman Butler of Savannah, GA, his brother Robert Bruce Butler of Rocky Hill, CT,  his three daughters, April Eileen Butler Staley (Kenneth) of Tolland, CT, Pamela Jean Butler of Wethersfield, CT,  Kimberly Anne Butler Damaskos  (Yiannis) of Manchester Village, VT, and son Frederick David Butler of Wethersfield, CT, and three grandsons, Andrew and William Damaskos and Jeffrey Peghiny, his step-children Jewel Fox, Laconia, NH, Kenneth Brands, Clarksville, TN, Jeffrey Brands (Jennifer) of Cabot, PA, and Gregory Brands (Sandra)  of Savannah, GA, and step-grandchildren Erika, Kirk, Sarah, Nicole, Coleman, Natalie, Tyler, and Amanda, and step-great-grandchildren Elle, Ronan, Brody, and Makayla. Bill was admired and loved by his large and extended family.

Mr. Butler served in the National Guard, being honorably discharged June 25, 1950.  Bill graduated from Trinity College, CT and University of CT School of Law in 1956.  He was admitted to the State of CT Bar July 31, 1956 and the US District Court of CT 1966.  After retirement in 1996 he and his wife Priscilla built a home in the Deer Creek section at The Landings on Skidaway Island, GA.

William James Butler and Harold Gersten became law partners in 1978 in a firm called Butler and Gersten.  They remained a two person firm until 1984 when Martin P. Gold joined the firm. The firm expanded to six lawyers in 1989 when Harold passed away and the firm subsequently became Butler Norris & Gold.  The firm is proud of the traditions that were started with Bill, Harold and Martin, and specifically attribute ethical and legal standards of the firm to the tutelage of Bill Butler. The firm has now grown to 11 lawyers and is still in the same location today practicing at 254 Prospect Avenue, Hartford, CT.  Bill was Wethersfield, CT’s town attorney for several years.

Bill enjoyed his Manchester Village, VT home with his family each summer.  He was active in The Good News Jail and Prison Ministry for many years, a Mason, Cursillo, St. Peter’s Church Bible Study Group, he enjoyed travelling, a great book club, Shakespeare, and pinochle groups, and an avid reader of history.  He was a member of St. Peter’s Episcopal Church, Skidaway Island, Savannah, GA and served as the Church Historiographer for a period of time.

Our family appreciates the loving care Bill received at Hospice Savannah.  They are thankful for the kindness and skill he received from Dr. Grant Lewis and his staff, especially Jacki, Toni, and Kim at the Lewis Cancer and Research Pavilion.  A special thanks, with love, goes to his caregiver, Jasmine Williams.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests remembrances to: The Children’s Choir, St. Peter’s Episcopal Church, Skidaway Island, 7 West Ridge Road, Savannah, GA 31411; The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society; Hospice Savannah, 1352 Eisenhower Drive, PO Box 13190, Savannah, GA 31406; or Trinity Episcopal Church, 300 Main Street, Wethersfield, CT 06109.  Thank you for whatever your choice may be.

A Celebration of the Life of William James Butler will be held Monday, May 11, 2015 at 11:00 a.m. at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church, 7 West Ridge Road, Skidaway Island, Savannah, GA.  A second funeral service will be held at a later date at Dillon-Baxter Funeral Home, 1276 Berlin Turnpike, Wethersfield, CT.  His body has been donated to science at Life Legacy Foundation.  The family will have a private burial for Bill Butler next to Priscilla at Rose Hill Cemetery, Rocky Hill, CT.

Please sign our on-line guest book at lowcountrycremation.com

Low Country Cremation Services and Burial is serving the Butler family.