LANCASTER—Colin “CB” Butler passed away at his home in Lancaster on Friday, April 14, 2023.
He was born March 10, 1943 in Birmingham, England, and sailed to this country when he was 5 years old on the Queen Mary with his parents Frederick and Emily and his sister Rita.
Colin is survived by his wife, Patricia Butler of Lancaster; his beloved sister, Rita Perdue of Ayer, Mass.; two sons, Cejing Butler (Dawn) of Columbia, S.C., and Sean Butler of Raleigh, N.C.; a nephew, Craig Lauderback (Becky) of Ayer; and a niece, Lynne Robare (Doug) of Deridder, La. Lynne is the angel who gave her uncle a kidney in 2009, thereby extending his life by 14 years.
In 1962, Colin graduated from Ayer HS where he played football and was a favorite at gatherings with his ballroom dancing skills. His friends nicknamed him “Doc” because he was always prepared with a band-aid in his wallet.
After high school, he served his country as a member of the Air Force for eight years including a tour in Vietnam.
After leaving the Air Force, the spirit of adventure led him to Phoenix, Ariz., as a city bus driver, South Dakota as a grocery store owner, Saudi Arabia as a logistician for Aramco oil company, and finally back to the military as a civilian working on weapons systems for the Department of Defense. He retired from Hanscom Air Force Base in 2006 after 30 years of service.
Throughout his life, Colin was dedicated to the ideals of Masonic life. He was a past master of Caleb Butler Lodge in Ayer and a lifetime member of the St. Paul Lodge in Gardner, Mass., which was chartered by Paul Revere in 1797. He was also a natural born entertainer who cooked up a 4th of July pig roast every year for 50 to 100 of his closest friends.
Colin and the love of his life, Patricia, moved to the Northern Neck in 2006 settling down in a little cottage on a quiet pond where he concentrated on fishing and watching football while continuing to travel and camp all over the country attending music and sporting events and visiting relatives. He loved whipping up a giant batch of spring rolls which were a favorite of all those attending the Butlers’ annual 12th night party. Colin also volunteered his time for any event which would feed the hungry or help children. As a member of the Friends of Belle Isle State Park, he was a yearly attraction as the Easter bunny.
Children everywhere were captivated by his warm smile and the mischievous twinkle in his eye—adults too, including Patricia’s extensive family, grew to love him for the man he was.
He was an amazingly supportive dad. Sean remembers him attending every single football game throughout school and Cejing recalls him driving long distances to his martial arts classes and tournaments. Seth, Aubin, Dylan and Adrian were so lucky to have him as a great uncle. His grandchildren knew him as Bumpa. Always up for a new adventure, Colin was looking forward to traveling to South Carolina for Ethan’s flag football games and Emily’s dance recitals.
All who knew Colin Butler were engaged by his patriotism, his generosity, his kind heart and good humor. When you were with him, not an hour would go by without a good belly laugh. He was truly a funny guy.
A Visitation will be held 2-4 p.m. Saturday, May 20, at Currie Funeral Home, Kilmarnock, and a Masonic service on Father’s Day weekend in Massachusetts. In lieu of flowers, the family requests a donation to the Wounded Warrior Project or St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital.
