NEA/DL Richard J. 'Dick' Butler

~ IN MEMORY ~

NEA/DL radio operator Richard ‘Dick’ J. Butler

December 1935 ~ February 11, 2014

 

(pictured w/son at Dick’s 75th birthday lunch)

 

Word has been received with the passing of NEA/DL retired radio operator Richard ‘Dick’ Joseph Butler, age 78.  Dick hired on with Northeast Airlines in January 1959 and retired with Delta Air Lines in November 1992, based Atlanta.  No obituary was published online nor will there be a formal service, but Dick’s son Richard has written a wonderful tribute to his dad....please see below.

 

Thank you,
~ Carol Faulkner, PCN death notice communicator
death@pilotcommunication.nethttp://pcnflightwest.blogspot.com/

 

This message is from Richard, Dick's son:

My father, Richard Joseph "Dick" Butler, passed away today at the age of 78.  I was with him when he died early this morning and I already miss him terribly.

As many of you know, he had quite a few health challenges over the past year and had just survived open heart surgery two weeks ago.  He had been in an outpatient rehab facility where we had hopes that he would recover and resume his normal daily life.  It was not to be.  He was tired and his body was just worn out from all the issues and complications he has been dealing with over the past 8 months.

My dad grew up in Boston, MA to a working class Irish family.  His father was a well known Boston cop and detective.  My dad served in the Air Force during the Korean War (he was smart enough to be stationed in Germany during that conflict) and it was there that he met and married a beautiful German girl who gave birth to me and then my brother Kurt eighteen months later (known as Irish twins).

My dad was a private pilot in his early days and later forged a long career in the airline business, first with Northeast Airlines in Boston and Miami, then with Delta in Atlanta (since 1972!).  He was a smart, funny man, a loving husband, and a wonderful father.  Everybody who knew him loved him.  After we moved to Miami in 1969 we would go back to Boston to visit relatives.  When we would walk through Logan airport, gate agents and other airline employees would greet my dad like he was a rock star!  They would leave their posts and let paying customers wait in order to say hello to my father.

Many of you have lost loved ones and close friends much earlier in life.  I am grateful that he was there for all 55 years of my life.  There will be no funeral or formal memorial service.  In the weeks ahead we will have a remembrance of my dad in the style of an Irish wake.  Drink some beer, shed some tears and tell some stories.  As an Irishman all the way through, my dad would like that.  I will send information well ahead of time when plans are made.  I have attached a few photos of him.  He lived a full life.

Thank you all for your thoughts and kind words and please forgive me if I do not respond right away to your messages.

Richard
770.333.6077