Thomas Martin Butler

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Thomas Butler Obituary

Thomas Martin Butler, 77, of Ithaca, NY, died of pancreatic cancer on Thursday, January 2, 2025. He was the loving husband of Joyce Leslie.

Born September 11, 1947, in Hartford, CT, he was the son of the late William Fatio and Doris Estabrook (Martin) Butler. He grew up in West Hartford and West Suffield, CT, and graduated from the Holderness School in Holderness, NH, and Yale University. His time at Yale was interrupted by his service in the US Marine Corps where he attained the rank of Corporal. A devoted educator, he taught history and related subjects at Rumsey Hall School in Washington, CT; Brunswick School in Greenwich, CT; and for many years at Hamden Hall Country Day School in Hamden, CT. He also spent several summers teaching at the Salisbury Summer School in Salisbury, CT.

After he retired from teaching at Hamden Hall, he moved to New York in 2010, where he lived in Brooktondale and then in Ithaca. He continued his teaching at Lifelong, the Tompkins Country senior center in Ithaca, and indulged his other passion which was his art. His medium was collage with found objects and he participated in the Greater Ithaca Art Trail for several seasons. He also volunteered with multiple organizations, hiked with the Ithaca Hikers, and was a devoted sports fan, bringing his experience as a coach, referee, researcher, and wannabe athlete to games.

In addition to his wife, he is survived by a son, Nicholas Ryan Butler (Elizabeth) and two grandchildren, Dylan and Briana Butler; a sister, Judith Butler of Dedham, MA; a brother, Jonathan Rankin (Emily) of Nichols, NY; as well as three nieces, Andrea McGlew, Donna Parobek, and Caroline Traverso, and their families.

Burial will be at the convenience of the family. Lansing Funeral Home has charge of arrangements. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in his memory to Lifelong, 119 West Court Street, Ithaca, NY 14850.

To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.

Published by Cortaca Today on Jan. 4, 2025.

Memories and Condolences
for Thomas Butler

7 Entries

Susan Perkins Garner

January 20, 2025

Joyce - and family
I was sad to hear that Tom died. He was such a good neighbor and was becoming a friend. I hope to see you when we are out more this spring. Until then sending warm regards, Susan

Peter Salmon

January 7, 2025

Tom was my neighbor in Ithaca NY and it won´t be the same without him. He was a great guy, always eager to lend a hand and interested in chatting. Always happy and positive, he was taken too soon. He will be missed by the West Shore neighborhood along with many others in Ithaca.

Adam Trister (HHCDS '94)

January 6, 2025

I am deeply saddened to hear about the passing of Mr. Butler. I had Mr. Butler for pre-algebra, world history, and U.S. History (he also ref'd several of my lacrosse games). His profound knowledge and passion for history left an indelible mark on me through my future academic and professional career. Please accept my heartfelt condolences during this difficult time. My thoughts are with the Butler family.

Bill Kotowski

January 6, 2025

I'm so sorry to hear of Tom's passing. He was my teacher at HHCDS when I was in high school. He was a great educator, mentor and coach. Please accept my condolences for his passing.

Amy Greenblatt Cooper (HHCDS '88)

January 6, 2025

Tom was my very first teacher at Hamden Hall Country Day school (40 years ago - eeks) and he clearly made a lasting impact on me - I remember him fondly. I am so sorry for your loss (I lost my father to Pancreatic Cancer so I feel for both what Tom and the family went through during the illness. Sending my heartfelt wishes to the family for love and strength through this difficult time.

Julia Bentley-Macdonald

January 5, 2025

I knew Tom from Lifelong. He was a board member and a volunteer instructor of drawing and the Constitution and the Supreme Court. His courses were well attended and enlightening. He devoted himself to Lifelong by his service on the board of directors and did a stint of putting together one of the catalogs when Lifelong was short staffed. He was indeed a gift to the Ithaca Community and beyond.

Gwen Wilkinson

January 5, 2025

Tom and I spent a lot of time talking. That´s mainly what we did. Our topics ranged from art and poetry, politics, the Constitution and Supreme Court, to our personal challenges. Being smart and well educated (as well as teaching for a million years) gave Tom a pedagogical bent, which could be measured on a scale from mildly annoying to very extremely annoying. But if you hit him over the head - hard -with a good argument he would concede the point.
That was one side of Tom. Another was his ability to listen; really engage with his whole being. He cared. Tom helped me through some difficult times, and I like to think I helped him.
Tom loved making his collages. In the last year he became enamored with the liberal use of primary colors. (I was looking forward to the end of that phase).
The last time I saw Tom it was to drive him to a medical appointment. He was obviously sick, plus he had recently had major orthopedic surgery. So he wasn´t at the top of his game, but we chatted like we always did, and I had absolutely no clue it would be the last time I saw him. When he got out of my car he thanked me and smiled his beautiful smile.

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