Craig Butler

60, resident of Eureka, California passed away October 4, 2011 in Trinity County. He was born December 26, 1950 in Red Bluff, CA. to James and Valarie (Hall) Butler. His family lived in Corning and he attended the first grade there before moving to Weaverville in the late 50s. He graduated with the class of 1969 at Trinity High School and was all county track star that year. Summers were spent working, hunting and playing on his grandfather's sheep ranch in Corning. He told stories of herding the sheep from field to field and using the ferry to get the sheep across the Sacramento River. He enlisted in the Army and at the Oakland induction hotel a riot broke out. He and his roommate stayed up all night taking turns barring the door. He smoked so much that at his physical the next day, the doctor said he had asthma and dismissed him from service. So at age 18, he started his career at PG&E as a groundsman. He shared the distinction with friend Larry Glenn of being the youngest journey linemen in PG&E. A record they held for many years. He was in "GC" (general construction) and started in the Bay area. He worked in just about every town between Orick and San Francisco. In those days linemen worked everything from underground to transmission. There was a lot of traveling involved so he lived in a travel trailer always ready to move to the next assignment. He transferred to Eureka around 1976 and stayed in the area for the rest of his life. In 1986, he took the bid for the Transmission Troubleman position. His territory covered a wide area and took him to many remote and rugged areas of Humboldt and Trinity counties. He couldn't believe that he had landed a position that paid him to be out in his beloved mountains on back country roads. A year before retirement he took an upgrade to General Foreman. He retired after 39 years of service in 2008. One year after retirement he was inticed back as a contract inspector at Canus for non-company crews working on PG&E lines. He worked with crew members that were from all over the United States. He loved his profession and took great pride in his work. His expertise in the field was well-known and he was greatly respected. A T-line article in 1975 says it all, " He was "Mr. PG&E up in his area. He knows everything about everything. He IS the transmission department in his area. He is most often working alone and has managed to become very well-known by the community he serves. He really knows his stuff backward and forward, and is probably one of the best-organized and most knowledgeable folks I have met in T-line. Craig regularly performs duties above and beyond the t-man job description. Among his regular tasks, he guides work performed by contract crews, manages all switching in his area, and handles customer contact like a pro. He is regularly described as being really, really good as well as unassuming and easy to work with. Craig has spent his years working for PG&E acquiring an intimate knowledge of the geography in his area, and it is said that he manages to perform work in places that would be inaccessible to most folks. Despite the difficult conditions sometimes posed by snow, wind and vegetation as well as the general terrain, Butler is the key to the progres being made in Humboldt." Craig's father was a lineman as are his brothers Jim and Boyd and nephews Jody, Sonny and Chet. Craig had many passions and talents. He loved to hunt, fish, travel and cook. Everything he put his hand to he did well. He enjoyed Nascar and had season tickets at the Las Vegas track for many years. He visited tracks at Phoenix, Bristol TN, and Darlington, SC. He is descended from an early Tehama County family and lands purchased in 1884 are still owned by the family. This year's dove season was especially good on the ranch and he enjoyed many days of hunting with his brother, Boyd and his wife, Mitzi. He made an amazing shot and killed four doves at once. Traveling and exploring was in his blood. He loved old roads and knew the history of most of them in Humboldt and Trinity Counties. He was a historian. A voracious reader who enjoyed subjects such as aviation history, historic trains, World War II, and the Wild West. Family and friends were very dear to him and he cherished his time with them. He was generous and giving of himself and loved to share his knowledge. He was often the instigator for family gatherings at his father's place on Trinity Lake, or an ocean fishing day for salmon, tuna, halibut and bottom fish, or just staying at the family ranch west of corning. His dear friends Richard Jackson and Christine Barkdull were most gracious and invited Craig every year to hunt for deer on their ranch. He had many wonderful hunting trips on the BarW. He loved every moment and always looked forward to his time on the mountain with them. He leaves his father James Butler (Janet Briggs) of Happy Valley, wife, Mitzi Butler of Eureka, daughter Christina Butler of Redding, step daughters Sophia Goodyear of Chico, Abigail Goodyear of Weaverville,; brothers James (Deborah) Butler of Happy Valley and their children Jody and Lacy, Boyd (Gay) Butler of Weaverville and their children, Sonny (Boyd), Luke, Fay and Chet; and Jay (Anita) Butler of Valley Center. A gathering to celebrate the life of this remarkable man will be held at the Eureka Elks Lodge at 2 p.m. Thursday, October 13 In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Eureka Elks Lodge Veteran's Fund, Attn: MaryLou, 445 Herrick Ave, Eureka CA 95503. Arrangements will be handled by Forrest Funeral Home in Weaverville. Please sign the guest book at www.Times-Standard.com, click obits.