Robert Burton Butler

Robert Burton Butler

March 8, 1940 – September 5, 2025

Boulder Creek, CA

Our beloved father, Robert “Bob” Butler, passed away peacefully on September 5, 2025, surrounded by three of his children. Bob was a long-time resident of Boulder Creek and, more recently, at the Watsonville Nursing Center in Watsonville, CA.

Dad was born in Beaumont, Texas, to Cecil M. Butler and Adelia C. Butler. It’s hard to capture all that he was in this short space, in part because he had various occupations in his 85 years. He served proudly in the Navy as a “radio” operator. After the Navy, he worked several jobs that revolved around radios and communication. One interesting fact about Dad is that he was on the communications team that helped translate the radio waves from the moon so that people could watch it on TV, and in the communications room on July 16, 1969, when Neil Armstrong said, “Houston, Tranquility Base here, the Eagle has landed…That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.” After Hidden Figures came out, we asked him about the women portrayed in the movie, and he knew their names. They didn’t work in the same department, but it was a small community of people. His career continued with the FCC, Department of Defense, and Department of the Navy with radios, communications and computers. While working and raising a family he was in night school and eventually graduated with his electrical engineering degree. He even did a stint as a math teacher for Hyde School in Bath, ME.

Dad was on the cutting edge of early technology with the World Wide Web and email. He worked with computers that were in 3-story buildings and brought home leftover punch cards for us to play with. He retired from the Department of the Interior (DOI) as a network engineer. In his retirement, he pursued another passion, gunsmithing. He opened Cherokee Gunsmith in Buena Vista, CO and continued his gunsmithing when he moved to CA.

Dad was a fascinating man and had many interests, which he loved to share with his children and friends. He loved the ocean, desert, mountains, and the coastal redwoods. He collected art and treasures, made jewelry, and loved rocks and geology. He loved camping, hunting and fishing. He was a certified scuba diver. He loved genealogy and researching his Cherokee Indian ancestry. He loved science fiction and fantasy. We grew up on Star Trek, Asimov, and dragons. He adored new technology, always ready for a new gadget. He retained his curiosity and love of life until the end.

He was preceded in death by his daughter DeJuana Beeman (Tim), sister Patsy Ann Melkerts, nephew Billy Glascock, and his parents. He is survived by his brother, David Butler, niece Amy Fischer (Dan) and family, and nephew, Tony Arnold (Tammy) and family. His children: Lori Richardson, Nikki Barry (Bill), Bryn Butler (Marcia), and Danielle Butler Lange (Matt). Ten grandchildren: Shea Braun (Ryan), Brian Goodwin (Dylana), Jacob Dismont, Ryan Beeman (Cherie), Paige Kim (Matt), Ariel Creamer, Savannah Allen (Josh), Drew Barry, Tyler Barry (Alyssa), and Noah Butler (Kara). Five great-grandchildren, Ayla and Wren Beeman, Ethan Allen, Noelle Creamer, Jasper and Logan Lynn Goodwin. His longtime companion, DD Dwijsen. Also, by many family, friends, and people who loved him dearly.

Our family would like to express our most sincere gratitude for the care and concern shown to Dad the past several years: Watsonville Nursing Center; Watsonville Community Hospital (most especially for the compassion of Dr. A. Gonzales, Nurses & CNAs on Surgical Medical Floor, and the Social Workers); and Satellite Dialysis Watsonville. A most heartfelt thank you to Martha Paz Hernandez with Ave Maria Memorial Chapel.