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In memory of

James "Buzzy" Robert Butters

Califon, NJ, USA

January 11, 1938 - September 25, 2020

Jan 11, 1938 - Sep 25, 2020

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James Robert Butters, beloved father, grandfather, friend and mentor to many passed away September 25, 2020 in Morristown, NJ. He was 82 years old. James is survived by his daughter Erica Butters and grandchildren Luke and Lilli Von Borstel. He is also survived by a brother John Butters of Riverbend, NC, and two sisters, Susan A. Dobson of Califon, NJ and Nancy Mavian of Lewiston, ME.
James got the nickname "Buzzy" as a child and many family members and friends from his youth still refer to him by this name. He was born and raised in Staten Island, NY where he was one of four children born to John and Myrtle Butters. James graduated from Port Richmond High School in 1956 and went on to serve in the U.S. Marine Corps. He spent his military career as a jet mechanic, mostly stationed in Camp Pendleton, outside of San Diego, CA. After spending several years in southern CA after the Corps., James returned to the east coast. He married Toni Reid on Christmas eve of 1967. He and his wife had a daughter, Erica in 1976.
James earned his Masters Degree in Special Education from City College of NY and shortly thereafter moved his family from Manhattan, NY to Lebanon Township, NJ. He had just founded a private school in 1975 he named the Hunterdon Learning Center. The school opened its doors with only 12 students and a staff of three. James worked tirelessly as the executive director and principal of the Hunterdon Learning Center (HLC) from the late 1970s until the mid 1990s, when he retired around the age of 60.
James continued to serve as an educational consultant for HLC years after his retirement but the majority of his time was spent in the Florida Keys fishing and enjoying a slower pace in his life. James was an avid sport fisherman who travelled the length of the east coast as well as Central and South America and Cuba catching and releasing big game fish. He loved to fish tournaments and entered countless numbers of them out of Brielle, NJ, Islamorada Florida and Havana, Cuba. James also enjoyed traveling to remote areas of the Amazon River in Brazil where he fished for peacock bass.
In 2017, James began to confront some health issues - which were the only reason he stopped traveling and fishing. He spent the last few years of his life in Morristown, NJ living with his daughter Erica and his grandchildren Luke and Lillil.

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