Roy Clair Butler, 89, of Stronach went home to be with his Lord on Wednesday, April 18, 2018.
Born Aug. 30, 1928 in Clearfield, he was the son of the late Clair E. Butler and Kathryn Marshall Butler.
He attended the Curwensville Area High School and graduated in the class of 1946.
He began his career as a lineman for Jenkinstown Utilities. Four years later, he started with Clearfield Penelec, where he gave 38 years of service.
He worked as a journeyman lineman hotstick, electric trouble and serviceman and chief lineman before becoming group supervisor of lines, the position he held at the time of his retirement in 1989.
He was also a 73-year member of the International Brotherhood of Electric Workers.
Mr. Butler was a member of the St. Paul’s United Methodist Church of Grampian, serving as a past member of the church’s board. He also attended the Curry Run United Methodist Charge.
He was the last surviving founding member of the Grampian-Penn-Bloom Volunteer Fire Company, where he held positions as president and secretary-treasurer.
He served on the Building Committee for the construction of the present Curwensville Area High School, and he was a charter member for the Grampian Borough-Penn Township Municipal Authority.
Mr. Butler was a member of the Grampian Park Association, Grampian Days Committee and was a Grampian Days Parade Committee chairman and member.
He was a past member of the Grampian Lions Club and he served as a committeeman for Grampian Boy Scout Troop 11.
In 2008, the Grampian Lions Clubs awarded him ‘Man of the Year’ for his years of faithful community service.
On Oct. 15, 1948, he married Betty McCall of Stronach at St. Paul’s United Methodist Church of Grampian. They celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary at St. Paul’s in 1998 with their original attendants that stood at their wedding in 1948.
In addition to his wife, Betty, he is survived by two sons, Dr. Thomas Butler and his wife, Lisa of Bellefonte and Robert Butler of Grampian; grandchildren, Rhett Butler and his wife, Kathryn of Virginia, Gail Butler Varaly and her husband, Jonas of South Carolina, Erin Butler Smith and her husband, Jeff of York, Leigh Butler and Marat Tomaev of Hershey and Tania Butler and Andrew Himes of Reynoldsville; and five great-grandchildren.
He is also survived by his brother, Ronald Butler and his wife, Helen of Stronach and in-laws, Gail McCall Bonsall, Judy McCall Freeman and her husband, William, Wayne Neeper, Sonya McCall Barr and George ‘Buddy’ McCall and his wife, Linda.
In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by a daughter-in-law, Catherine Michaels Butler; sister-in-law, Patty McCall Neeper; brothers-in-law, James Bonsall and Thomas Barr; and nephews, Ronald Butler Jr. and Kevin Bonsall.
Services will be held at 2:30 p.m. Saturday at the St. Paul’s United Methodist Church, Grampian. Burial will be at Friends Cemetery, Grampian.
In lieu of flowers, the family asks that memorial contributions be made to Grampian-Penn-Bloom Volunteer Fire Company, c/o GPB Fire Company, P.O. Box C, 251 Main St., Grampian, PA 16838.
The Kevin A. Beardsley Funeral Home, Curwensville, is in charge of arrangements.
To sign the online guestbook, go to www.beardsleyfuneralhome.com.
