William
“Bill” Rice Butler was the son of Albert and Ruth Butler; brother
of Bradley “Brad” Butler; brother of Albert (Bert) Butler; uncle of Colton “Rick” Butler and
Erin “T” Butler, and Mecca and Ryan “Ry” Lucia Butler; and
great-uncle of Emma “Em” Ruth Press and Benjamin “Ben” Joseph
Press.
If
something is described by the spirit of it, a lot of words are not
necessary. William Rice Butler had a vibrant intellect aided by his
photographic memory. He was a lover of music, lover of family, lover
of books, librarian, poet, generous collector of quality items, a
good friend of many and a keen observer of life’s many mysteries.
From Bill’s poem “Mysteries,” profiling his mother’s death,
at which he was present, can be glimpsed his departure: “She marked
her place, gazed straight up, then shut her eyes, to join the
greatest mystery of all.” Peace, Bill.
Special
thanks to his friends, especially Robert and Shelley Butterfield,
principled people who know the art of giving from the heart.
A
memorial gathering celebrating Bill’s life will be held on
Saturday, September 14, 2024, 1 to 3 p.m., in the Fletcher Room at
the Fletcher Free Library in Burlington, Vt.
This article appears in Aug 21-27, 2024.