Terence John ‘Terry’ Butson
ENOSBURG FALLS: Terence John Butson (Terry), beloved husband, father, grandfather, brother, cousin, uncle, friend, and community volunteer, passed away at his home following a brief illness, on September 24, 2022, while surrounded by immediate family.
Terry was born in Fareham, England on August 24, 1942, the second of four children of Horace and Doris Butson. Shortly following his birth, his family moved to Portsmouth, England, where his childhood was filled with adventures with his brothers along the coast. He would tell of a childhood digging for periwinkles in the mud flats and outpacing the rushing tides. A little later, his sister, Ann, was born. He was a bit older and loved helping take care of her, often bringing her on outings around his village.
Following graduation from secondary school, he joined the Royal Air Force (RAF) and, upon completion of an intensive course in German, was deployed to Berlin where he did reconnaissance work on electronic transmissions from beyond the iron curtain. Terry was a very studious sort who excelled in school and after leaving the Royal Air Force, went on to complete a degree certificate in applied math and calculus from Ruskin College, Oxford University. In his twenties and early thirties, he worked in the Portsmouth, England area in aerospace and electronics where he led production and R&D teams.
Along the way, he began to write books and decided to travel to Southern California to pursue publishing them. While there, he met his soon-to-be wife, Lorraine Jenne. The couple married in 1983 and moved to Vermont in 1986, where Lorraine’s parents were from, and he lived the rest of his life there. While living in Vermont, Terry raised two daughters whom he adored, Sarah and Emily. He worked for IBM for a time and later in the Enosburg Falls school system. During summers, when Terry was not at his summer camp on Lake Carmi, he volunteered at Camp Newfound in Maine, as head chef, the place where his daughters spent a good deal of each summer. There were a few places on earth where Terry really connected with the true meaning of life and Camp Newfound was one. He said that you could witness God’s love and good work there. Terry was known by all as a ready volunteer — some of the significant causes that benefited from his volunteerism were the Opera House at Enosburg Falls, the Masons, and the Lions, to name but a few.
Terry will be missed by all who were lucky enough to know him. Terry is survived by his wife of 39 years, Lorraine, and his daughters, Sarah (Enosburg Falls, VT), Emily and her husband Ben and their son, Maxwell (Portland, ME). He is also survived by his family in England: his three sons, his brother, Michael Butson and sister, Ann Peet, and their families (many nieces and nephews and grands), and his brother in Australia, Tony Butson and his wife Toni and their families.
A celebration of life will be held in May 2023, at the Opera House at Enosburg Falls, to allow traveling time for his family from around the world.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to Camp Newfound 4 Camp Newfound Road, Harrison, Maine 04040, or the Opera House at Enosburg Falls, PO Box 1250, 123 Depot Street, Enosburg Falls, VT 05450
Arrangements are entrusted to the Brady & Levesque Funeral Home, where fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared with his family and friends at www.bradyandlevesque.com
