William J. "Bill" Buttler

Union Township, NJ –William J. "Bill" Buttler, 67, passed away peacefully at home on Sunday, March 29, 2009. Bill was a devoted husband and friend to his wife, Laurie; a loyal and loving son and brother; a loving dad; a joyful grandfather; a terrific son in law, brother in law and uncle; a generous and caring employer, and a dear friend to many. He will be missed and celebrated always.



Bill was born in New Brunswick, New Jersey, the son of William Francis and Elizabeth Buttler, and graduated from New Brunswick High School in 1960. After graduation, he was signed by and played briefly for the Boston Red Sox organization. He began a career in land surveying, eventually founding his own firm, Control Layouts, in 1972, which now has two locations -- in Highland Park and Clinton. He was a member of both the New Jersey and the Pennsylvania Professional Land Surveyors Societies as well as various other professional organizations.



Bill moved to the Hunterdon area in 1977 where he raised his family, and was active in various youth baseball organizations as a coach and manager. He was an avid golfer, counting among his dear friends many golfers who shared his love of the game and his love of life. Bill was a member of Stanton Ridge Golf and Country Club in Readington, NJ and The Landings Club in Savannah, Ga.



He is survived by his wife Laurie (Garthwaite) Buttler; daughter Traci Wood and son-in-law William Wood of Spring, TX; son William Buttler, Jr. of Las Vegas, NV; son Michael and daughter-in -law Laura Buttler of Clinton; and Patrick Buttler of Lake Como, NJ; as well as his grandchildren Jacob Wood, Katelyn Wood and Ryan Buttler. He is also survived by his mother Elizabeth Buttler of Somerset and his sister Judith A. Buttler of Ocean Grove, NJ. He was predeceased by his father, William Francis.



Bill will also be missed by his extended family: his father and mother-in law, Robert and Barbara Garthwaite of Forked River, NJ, brothers- and sisters-in laws, Lynn Olsen of Pawling, NY, Lucinda Garthwaite of Plainfield, Vt., Robert and Julie Garthwaite of Shamong, NJ, Sandra Benson of Big Bear Lake, CA, Jonathan and Julie Garthwaite of Canaan, NH and nieces and nephews, Ryan and Jennifer Olsen, Kaitlin, Chelsea, Molly and Hailey Garthwaite, Nicholas Benson and Nicholas Talbert.



Relatives and friends are invited to visiting hours at the Countryside Funeral Home, 724 Route 202 North, Three Bridges, NJ 08887 on Wednesday, April 1, 2009 from 2-4 pm and 6-9pm. A Celebration of Life service will be held on Thursday April 2 at 10:30 a.m. at The Grand Colonial Restaurant , 86 West State Highway 173, Hampton, NJ 08827, with a luncheon immediately following. At the family's request disposition will be handled privately.



Memorial contributions may be made in Bill's name to: the Wellness Community of Central Jersey: 3 Crossroads Drive, Beminster, NJ 07921 or the Jason P. Schaible Memorial Fund: 54 Norma Road, Hampton, NJ 08827.