"We, who remain to carry on, should not think of our shipmates as departed from us but rather as having been transferred to a celestial ship or station where we hope all of us be shipmates again."

"Stop me if you've heard this one before …"

Joseph Lee "Butz" Butson, 74, of 628 Front St. Lititz and formerly of 225 North Broad Street Lititz passed away on Saturday, October 24, 2015 at his home surrounded by his family. He retired from the U.S. Navy in January 1977 after a 20 year career during which he had served in Attack Squadron 85 with carrier air wing 17 (CUA17) as a component of the U.S. 6th fleet embarked on board USS Forrestal (CUA59). After the Navy, Butz worked for ALCOA Mill Products retiring in July 1999.

Enlisting in the U.S. Navy in 1957, Butz served aboard the USS Randolph (CUS15), Military Sea Transport Services Atlantic (MSTS), USS Forrestal (CUA59), and served one tour of duty in Vietnam from September 1966 through September 1967. He also served as personnel office supervisor during two Mediterranean deployments July 1974 and in January 1977 aboard USS Forrestal and is a plank owner at the US Navy Memorial in Washington D.C. He transferred to the U.S. Navy Fleet Reserve on January 27, 1977. During his career he was awarded the following; Combat Action Ribbon, Navy Unit Commendation, *Four Good Conduct Awards, Navy Expeditionary Medal (Cuba), Nation Defense Service Medal, Vietnam Service Medal with 2 bronze stars, Vietnam Gallantry Cross, Republic of Vietnam Civil Action Unit Citation, and Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal. *LAUGH

Butz was a member of the Lititz Moravian Congregation, American Legion Post #56 in Lititz, life member of the Lititz VFW Post 1463, and a member of the ALOG Fleet Reserve Branch #166 in Virginia Beach, VA. He enjoyed attending auctions, collecting antique Victorian furniture, jewelry caskets, listening to jazz, spending time with his family poolside and on the patio telling jokes.

Butz was not overweight; he was six inches too short. He never slept in front of football games; he just checked his eyelids for light leaks. He never drank unless he was alone or with somebody, and only on days ending in "Y". Butz wouldn't kid you if he didn't like you, and he probably kidded you, because he liked everyone. He answered the phone "your nickel" or "Duffy's pool room, Arch speaking," and had a (most likely inappropriate) joke for almost every occasion or topic. He lived his life fully and with a sly grin and big laugh, and loved being "on the right side of the dirt." Butz jumped out of an airplane (with a parachute) for his 74th birthday despite (or because of) his terminal diagnosis and said that the best part of that experience was not the exhilaration of falling through the clouds but the thrill that his whole family had come out to watch him do it.

Born in Lancaster, he was the son of Joseph Earl and Lillian G. (Miller) Butson. He was married to Janet Faye (Lefever) Butson 47 years when she passed in May 2009. Surviving are three sons Gary Lee, married to Melissa Gooding, Maytown; Denver Scott, married to Rhonda Keyser, Brooklyn, NY; Randy Jay, married to E. Meshell (Jamison), Lancaster; a sister, Doris (Butson) McCreary, Lititz; and a grandson, David, and his partner Colleen Faish, Denver. He has four additional grandchildren: Brendan and Bryce, Lancaster, Maybelle, Brooklyn, NY, and Jackson, Maytown, PA; and three great grandchildren, Kayla, Alexis, and Landon, all from Denver, PA.

He was preceded in death by wife Janet, their son Chad David Butson, and a sister Lillian (Butson) Hampey.

Funeral Services will be held on Wednesday, October 28, 2015 at 11AM at The Lititz Moravian Church 8 Church Square, Lititz, PA 17543 with The Rev. Mark Breland officiating. A viewing will be from 9AM-11AM at the church. Interment with Military Honors will be in the Lititz Moravian Church Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to any of his following favorite institutions: The Lititz Moravian Church, Hospice & Community Care 685 Good Drive, PO Box 4125 Lancaster, PA 17604-4125, The Lititz Library 651 Kissel Hill Road Lititz, PA 17543, The Chesapeake Bay Foundation 1426 North 3rd Street Suite 220 Harrisburg, PA 17102.