Dear Family,
 Carlene and I have unanimously decided to dedicate this space to the memory of  John S. Butler who recently passed away. We are asking YOU to contribute what  ever special thought or memories you have with John to help all of us  Celebrate His Life. As we reach our word capacity, we will then move to using  the Guestbook to keep our memories. Just e-mail them to either of us.  Thanks. Sherry
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ I remember spending weekends with Grandma and Grandpa,  and waking up at 5 am,  every morning, to the sound of grandpa's radio, tuned in to a talkshow or  news.  He would be sitting at the kitchen table in his robe with a cup of  coffee and his little portable am/fm radio, the only light on in the house was  the white ceramic lamp that grandma used as a night light.  To this day I can  still see him sitting there.

I remember Grandpa calling me "Cookie" when I was little, and how he liked to  scare us by turning his dentures upside-down in his mouth.  I remember his  laugh when he saw our reaction.

I will never forget his hand gestures and how he would sit up in his chair as  he began to tell one of his many stories or jokes with "incidentally..." "by  the way..." or "did I ever tell you about the time..."  I will miss his  stories.

I remember one time in my life that he effect me the most, I was 17 and about  to become a teenage mom.  I was staying with them for the weekend at their  mobile home and Miguel (Krys and Matts father) was out in the front in his old  beat up bug waiting for me to come out.  As I was rushing to leave (because I  COULD NOT let Miguel wait)  Grandpa stood up and stopped me and said with a  loud, STERN voice "Karen, You Do Not Owe Him ANYTHING!!"  It was the first  time he had ever raised his voice to me.  I could see in his face just how  serious he was.  I always knew my grandparents loved me, but it was this very  moment that I knew just how much.  I spent three more years with Miguel, and  every time I packed my stuff to leave him I remembered grandpas words, and  each time I realized more and more how right he was.

I have realized through this experience of losing someone so important to me  that grandchildren have a unique bond with their grandparents.  I have never  doubted that they love me, and when I know I have disappointed them they never  once let me know it.  They are understanding and accepting, always agreeing  with my side of the story, even if it was wrong.  I always felt like "his  little girl, even though he had two other "his little girls". I have learned that losing someone so special brings out feelings and  behaviors that we never knew existed. Its amazing how the love for someone is  so strong that we become blind to how we make others feel.  Funny, how even  though Grandpa is gone, he is still teaching me.

I Love You Grandpa Goose, Don't Play In The Street!
 Karen Annie
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The memory of my Grandpa that will stay with me forever, are all the sea  stories.  Those stories, and the wall of pictures showing me what a life I  could have of adventure, travel, honor, duty, and pride, was the motivation  that I needed to follow in his footsteps and join the Navy.  He would tell me  of the "baskets" that men would have to climb into to transfer from one ship  to another, while waves were crashing under them, and traveling at 30 knots.  The stories that always started with "Did I ever tell you about..." or "In the  summer of 46...".  The stories of Okinawa, the testing of the bombs out in  the South Pacific (I think it was Bikini Atoll), "liberty" in different ports,  the pride of the uniform, being woke up to "break codes" at 3 a.m. because he  was the top crypto-tech. But the most wonderful, amazing, and outstanding  thing that stays in my mind is the way he would tell me a sea story, and the  pride and honor in his face when it was my turn to tell him a sea story of my  own. Those are the memories that I will carry with me until it is my turn.         "Don't play in the street"    
               Jeff Schofield
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- You can shed tears that he is gone
 or you can smile because he has lived.

You can close your eyes and pray that he'll come back
 or you can open your eyes and see all he's left.

Your heart can be empty because you can't see him
 or you can be full of the love you shared.

You can turn your back on tomorrow and live yesterday
 or you can be happy for tomorrow because of yesterday.

You can remember him and only that he's gone
 or you can cherish his memory and let it live on.

You can cry and close your mind, be empty and turn your back or you can do what he'd want:  Smile, Open your eyes, Love and Go on.  Love, Karen Sapinozo