Andrea Lynn Talbott-Butera, 54, of Franklin died February 8 at Emerson Hospital in Concord, due to complications with pneumonia following a year-long battle recovering from brain tumor surgery and several subsequent stokes. She was the most beloved wife of Stephen A. Butera.
Born in Norwalk, Connecticut, December 26, 1958, the daughter of the late Richard and Carmen (Koll) Talbott, Mrs. Talbott-Butera resided in Fairfield, Connecticut until her marriage to Stephen in 1980.
She was a graduate of Connecticut College, Class of 1980, where she received a Bachelor’s Degree in Child Development. After a short stint as an elementary school teacher, Andrea found her true calling as a pre-school teacher.
Over the span of 30 years, her caring, instructive, and fun-loving approach to early childhood education nurtured hundreds of young children at various schools in eastern Massachusetts. She had taught at The Children’s Hour in Dedham, Pine Acres Country Day School in Franklin, Sunrise Montessori School in Franklin, Precious Beginnings in Dover and, most recently, the Children’s Center at Dean College in Franklin.
Andrea’s love and devotion to her family was utterly embracing and boundless, but she extended that love and an exuberant outlook on life to all whose lives she touched – and her witty and clever sense of humor was memorable. She made numerous friends (often for life) wherever she went – at school, at work, in her neighborhood, and her church. Her passion for gardening was well-known and her gardens at her Franklin home (which she truly loved) would often stop passers-by with their beauty. Andrea’s love of all kinds of music was notable, but her fondness for many kinds of dance music – be it Disco, Funk, or Country (for Country Line Dancing) – was a source of joy. She was a cherished member of the Franklin Federated Church where she was involved in many aspects of the life of that church community, including Sunday school, and, most notably, the annual rummage Sale (upon which she left her hall-mark fun loving imprint). Andrea was a truly beautiful person whose wonderful caring presence and loving impact will be felt by all those whom she touched for the rest of their lives.
In addition to her husband, she is survived by her children, Erica of Brighton, Jason of Franklin, and Alexander and his wife, Lindsay, of Watertown. She is also survived by her brothers, Sean Talbott of Franklin and Peter Talbott of Lake Oswego, Oregon.
Her memorial service will be held on Saturday March 16, at the Franklin Federated Church, 171 Main Street, Franklin at 10:00 AM.
Burial will be at the Union Street Cemetery in Franklin.
In lieu of flowers, expressions of sympathy may be made in her memory to the Brain Injury Association of Massachusetts (www.biama.org).
Arrangements are under the care of the Ginley Funeral Home (www.ginleyfuneralhomes.com.) 131 Main Street Franklin.