William ‘Bill’ Buttery
Dr. William “Bill” Buttery went to be with his Lord on Friday, Jan. 19, 2018, at the age of 86.
He is survived by his wife, Josephine (Jo) of 21 years; sister, Mary (Buttery) Carter; children, Amy (Steve Littler), DeeDee (Tom McKinney), and John Buttery; nephew, David Sleep; step-children, Debbie Knight (Mark Wenz) and Jim Knight (Debbie); grandchildren, Tyler, Lauren, Preston, and Davis; step-grandchildren, Samantha (Brandon Wilson), Luke, Tyler and Hailey (Russell Johnson); and great-granddaughters, Kara and Cassidy. He is preceded in death by his parents, Homer and Frances Buttery of Darlington; grandson, Sam Buttery-Littler; step-granddaughter, Kristina Knight; and the mother of his children, Carol Stout Buttery.
Bill grew up on a farm in Darlington, Wisconsin. After serving in the U.S. Army, he returned to Wisconsin to pursue his education. Bill earned his BA at U of Wisconsin, Master’s from the U of Minnesota, and Doctorate at ASU. After relocating to Arizona in the mid-70’s, Bill held numerous teaching and administrative positions, retiring as the Campus Dean of Central Arizona College – Aravaipa in 1987. He was very active in economic development in Pinal County and was recognized by the Pinal County Development Board in 2002 for his many years of service.
Bill never met a stranger or missed the opportunity to have an enjoyable conversation. He dearly loved his family, friends, pets, garden, workshop, and his signature hat collection – each hat had a story behind it.
The world is not as bright without Bill Buttery. He was one of a kind and we will miss him forever.
A celebration of Bill’s life will be held at the Elks Lodge in San Manuel, Arizona, on Feb. 10 at 1 p.m. In lieu of flowers, please donate to your favorite charity in Bill’s memory.