Peter Butler, of Marblehead, passed away peacefully at home on March 31. Born in Augusta, Maine, he was the son of the late Louise (Peacock) and Lawrence Butler. He was the loving husband of Marie (Collings) Butler, with whom he shared 43 years of marriage.
Peter had wonderful memories of growing up in Maine, spending summers beachcombing at Ocean Point and later canoeing the Kennebec and other Maine rivers in his Olde Town canoe. He could do a mean Down East accent, in the humorist style of Bert and I, when called upon at a pub or around a campfire.
The family moved to Wenham where he attended high school at The Governor’s Academy in Byfield, graduating in 1962.
He went on to graduate from Yale, with a bachelor’s degree in economics in 1966. In the fall of that year his draft board notified him that his number was next, and so, he joined the U.S. Army in September 1967. He liked to say he received an all-expense paid trip to the highlands of Vietnam, during which time he served as a first lieutenant in the Signal Corp and manned a radar station. He ended his Army service in September 1969.
He went on to receive his MBA from the Tuck School at Dartmouth in 1971.
He started his career in New York City, but a New York City lifestyle was not for him. He moved to Marblehead and over the years commuted both to Boston and to New Hampshire with companies in his role as finance officer before opening his own company, Peacock Associates.
He always planned to retire early, and he did, often sharing his own advice with others that “you can always work longer and make more money, but you won’t have more time.”
He and Marie both retired in 2001 and spent the last 23 years traveling the world. He tested the lifetime guarantee of many a suitcase.
He was blessed with many friends from high school and graduate school that he kept in close contact with via Zoom calls.
But it was the 20 years of boot camp buddies in Marblehead that brought him so many friends, the warmest memories, laughter and good times and the best coffee meet-ups a man could have.
Peter is survived by his wife Marie (Collings) Butler of Marblehead; brother, David Butler and his wife Margaret of St. Augustine, Florida; niece Meaghan Bird, her mother Carol, husband Justin and grandnephews Jeremy and Timothy of Nazareth, Pennsylvania; brother-in-law Robert Collings and his wife Darian of Arizona, sister-in law Linda (Collings) Conner and husband William (Lon) Conner of Arizona.
Peter’s visitation will be at Campbell Funeral Home, 525 Cabot St., Beverly, on Wednesday, April 9 from 10-10:45 a.m. with a service following at 10:45 a.m. Relatives and friends are invited to attend. Burial will be at Wenham Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made in Peter’s memory to the Marblehead Museum, 170 Washington St., Marblehead, MA 01945 (marbleheadmuseum.org). Information, directions, condolences at campbellfuneral.com.
