William J. Butler, Sr., 81, of New Bedford died May 7, 2016 at St. Luke's Hospital after a period of declining health.
He was the husband of Rosemary (Williams) Butler.
Born in Acushnet, the son of the late David H. and Isabella (Livesey) Butler, he was raised in Dartmouth and lived in New Bedford most of his life.
Mr. Butler was a communicant of St. Lawrence Church.
He was formerly employed as a social worker with Child and Family Services before retiring as supervisor at the Department of Transitional Assistance with the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
Mr. Butler enjoyed riding his motorcycle and Austin Healey sports car years ago. He enjoyed playing soccer and was inducted into the University of Massachusetts Hall of Fame. He was an avid sports fan and enjoyed spending time with his family and grandchildren.
Survivors include his wife; 3 sons, Dr. William J. Butler, Jr. and James E. Butler, both of New Bedford and David J. Butler of Wareham; a daughter, Margaret A. Lenihan and her husband Daniel of Acushnet; a brother, Edward T. Butler of New Bedford; a sister, Jane L. Parkin of New Bedford; 5 grandchildren, Griffin Butler, Hayden Butler, Colleen Lenihan, Bryan Lenihan and Kerry Rose Lenihan; and several nieces and nephews. He was the father-in-law of the late Margaret Butler and the brother of the late David H. Butler, Jr.
His Funeral will be held on Wednesday, May 11th at 9 AM from the Saunders-Dwyer Home for Funerals, 495 Park St., New Bedford, followed by his Funeral Mass at St. Lawrence Church at 10 AM. Burial will follow in St. Mary's Cemetery. Visiting hours will be on Tuesday, May 10th from 4-8 PM.