James “Jim” Matthew Butler, 63, of Grand Rapids, MI, passed away on Wednesday October 6, 2021 at Spectrum Health Butterworth Hospital.
James was born in Grand Rapids on December 4, 1957 to parents Lewellyn Butler & Marion Boening who precede him in death.
James is Loved & remembered by his children, Brittney Johnson & Alissa Butler; his grandchildren, Draelyn Johnson, Serenity Johnson, & Alexander Butler; & brother, Dan Butler.
James was a loving & devoted father who had a deep admiration for the outdoors. He enjoyed hunting & fishing in his previous years & viewed the woods as a second home. He was a spiritual man who found comfort in the words of the Lord. He was baptized at birth & again in his final days. James was a man who could talk to anybody & everybody. He loved his children & grandchildren more than anything in the world. He will be deeply missed by all who knew him.
15 Responses
Brittany, So Sorry! My condolences.
Jim was my godfather and was a part of my life from the day I was born. He got me to kiss my first fish. ❤️ I will always love him.
Hi this is vikas from india. James and me very good friend at fb. I rembember james called mi fb massanger many times .we talk we share many good thoughts.for mi james is true friend who gives mi alwayse good direction and right advice.we discuss more about music guitaar .james loves music ,guitar .james is such a humble person .really missed you dear james butler.
Goodbye Jimmy. I will have fond memories of our childhood together and will miss your phone calls. RIP
Jim and I had a lot of fun together over the years. I will miss all the talks we had about the family and it’s roots in both Grand Rapids and Mecosta County. He will be missed by all his cousins whom he kept in touch with regularly, his Aunt Gerrie and Aunt Josie, and all his nieces and nephews. Rest in peace, dear cousin. Rest in peace.
Jim was a huge part of our life. He was Toms best friend and the kids God father . He always took an interest in other people and because of that, he never met a stranger . He was always there if you needed help when he could be . He had a habit of writing his name on all of his belongings. Even now I bet you will find things with his name meticulously printed in black marker on them. I hope it will make you smile. He had a cup from kindergarten we used to tease him about. It said Jimmy Butlers Milk cup . The other day we went fishing and Tom caught a huge bass. 19 1/2 inches Before it came out of the water it slapped its tail & splashed me in the face . (Thanks for that Jimmy , way to get the last word)
Jim was a true gentleman even in his struggles and a father who loved his children. He will be missed but remembered with fondness for generations to come.
Godspeed, hunter. Thank you for your love, your endurance, and those moments of inspirational courage.
My Condolences to everyone in Jim’s circle of family and friends. He was a generous and caring man. cherish the memories!
There are people who come into your life and become like family. Jim was one of those people. I knew him through my son, Tom who was a long time friend of Jim’s. They enjoyed fishing together. And I think Tom will miss his fishing buddy but will remember many of the experiences they had and will smile when that happens. Condolences to the family.
I struggled with this a bit. I will miss my cousin Jimmy so very much. Both of my 1st cousins Jimmy and Danny Butler all grew up together on Horsehead Lake. I couldnt have had a better childhood growing up with them and growing old with them. So many memories I have with all my cousins. Im thankful for that; and Danny , his brother and his girls will miss him so very much along with all of us that loved him. I too will miss his anytime late night phone calls. Had so many conversations about everything I will cherish them all , even the ones when he was mad at me..He is where he came from now and we will see you im Heaven Jimmy
I have a ton of stories about Jim. He was my best friend and he always around when he was in good health. He had the great ability to be interested in everything that was new in your life. It was effortless for him. I am always thinking of him and wish the best for his family. Rest in Peace. We will all miss you.
I was so lucky to be his Godson. I have so many cherished memories of Jim Butler. I would like to share one here. Its not so much a memory but a collection of memories. When I was a kid I remember that he had this truck and It was a wonder how he kept the thing running because it had to be always one step away from completely falling apart. Jim loved that truck and used all manner of duct tape and elbow grease to keep that thing together. When it should have long been scrapped and replaced and a normal person would of done so it wasn’t. Jim managed to keep it going for years. I wonder what happened to that truck because in a lot of ways Jim was like that truck. In a lot of ways he was held together in a similar way not by duct tape but by sheer will alone. Unlike that truck, which was eventually replaced I think, Jim butler was a one of a kind and will be forever irreplaceable and I suppose he wouldn’t have had it any other way. God bless you Jim you were the best God father I could have ever had.
i just found out of the passing of jimmy as i live out of state. jimmy was a life long friend that i have known sense we were 2 years old. over 60 years. we grew up together and he was the best man at my wedding. i am very saddened to hear of his passing and he will be greatly missed by so many. god speed jimmy. i love you and i will miss you
I grew up next door to Jim and got reacquainted with him a couple of years ago,after I was living out of town. I was really impressed with the kind of man he became- a man of faith,a caring father and always fun to talk to. My deepest condolences to his family and God bless you.I. will look forward to seeing him again in heaven.
Jim was a great guy and a great friend to me and many others. He always seemed to be in good spirits and in good humor. I miss talking with him.