Gary E. Butt

Gary E. Butt, 72
1952 - 2025
Andover, formerly of Saugus - Gary Edward Butt, aged 72, died at home surrounded by his loved ones after a lengthy illness on July 18, 2025. He was the husband of Nancy A. (Merrithew) Butt, and predeceased by his first wife, Victoria A. (Osborne) Butt.
Gary was born in Everett, MA on December 9, 1952, and was raised in and lived in Saugus, MA for 65 years. Gary was the son of the late Frank E. Butt and Pearl W. (Piercy) Butt. He was a United States Army Veteran from the Vietnam Era and was employed by Kemper/Arbella Insurance until his retirement ten years ago.
Gary is survived by his daughter, Emily A. (Butt) Mahoney of Wilton, NH and his grandson, Simon V. Mahoney; two brothers, David F. Butt of Haverhill, MA and Paul R. Butt of Pompano Beach, FL; many nieces and nephews, cousins, and many dear and close friends.
Gary graduated from Saugus High School in 1970. Gary and Vickie met in their teens and were together for nearly fifty years until her death in 2014. Following high school Gary joined the Army as an air defense artilleryman. After leaving the Army, he and Vickie backpacked through Europe before settling in to family life in Saugus.
Gary did not seek out community leadership opportunities, but these roles found him. He would never say 'no' when volunteers were needed, and would suddenly find himself on a board or committee of some kind or coaching a little league team. Gary engaged in many niche hobbies including re-binding old books, building ships in bottles, researching family history, collecting and examining old maps, tinkering with short wave radios, and his greatest passion: botany. Gary was generally a handy guy. He was sure he could do just about anything himself, and was usually correct about that. He spent most of his vacation time at his cabin in Milton, NH.
In his retirement Gary found a new love in Nancy, and together they enjoyed beaches and great weather in Aruba, Jamaica, St Lucia, and Florida; witnessed solar eclipses in Wyoming and Vermont; visited landmarks like the Hoover Dam, the Garden of the Gods, and the Grand Canyon; sampled every Reuben sandwich in their path in search of the best; and, of course, relaxed at the lake in Milton.
In lieu of flowers, donations in Gary's memory can be made to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude’s Place, Memphis, TN 38105 or stjude.org.
Service Information: Relatives and friends are invited to a service, followed by a collation, both at Rosaria, 190 Main Street, Saugus, MA on July 29 at 11:00 am. For condolences www.BisbeePorcella.com.