May 24, 1939 – May 21, 2023
Born Charles LeGrand Butler, Jr., to Charles and Jane Butler (née Unger), of Buffalo, New York, Chuck Butler passed away peacefully at home in Ashland, Oregon, on Sunday, May 21, 2023, just three days before his 84th birthday, with his beloved wife, Linda Butler (née Hull), holding his hand, and his constant companion, family dog, Teddy, lying at his side.
Chuck knew that every day was precious. His devoted family mourns the loss of a hardworking, loyal, kind, loving, charismatic, and compassionate family member and community leader who inspired those around him to be better people in every way. To his family, he was the heart. A gracious man with a firm handshake, Chuck knew good manners, treated all people fairly and with respect—and, his children would say, was a marshmallow when it came to his grandchildren.
Chuck and his parents moved to Southern California, where Chuck’s younger sister, Barbara, was born, during World War II for his father’s work in the military, then settled in Manhattan Beach, California, where his father began the car business which would shape Chuck’s work life. Chuck started working in the parts department and washing cars at his father’s car dealership at the age of 12, and never looked back.
Chuck attended Hamilton High School and, in 1964, graduated Cum Laude from UCLA with his B.S. in Business Administration and Finance. Following in his father’s footsteps, Chuck then attended the General Motors Institute of Technology and graduated second in his class in Dealership Management. After Chuck’s dad suffered a heart attack and withdrew from his rigorous daily work, Chuck took over the management of the family business and in seven years made it the second largest Buick dealership in the world.
Chuck was a proud member of the U.S. Air Force, in the Military Police, and always kept the knowledge of right and wrong in the forefront of his decision making, both in business and with his community and family. Chuck championed diversity and the mutual respect and pride for people of all backgrounds.
Chuck loved the outdoors, trying almost all outdoor and winter sports and having the equipment to prove it. In particular, Chuck loved swimming, and was a member of the Los Angeles All-City water polo team during his college years. Until Chuck suffered a major stroke in March 2022, he was still swimming laps and loved the solitude and the workout that swimming gave him.
Chuck was also a lifelong boater, an adept captain, and lived by the Kenneth Grahame quotation from The Wind in the Willows, that “there is nothing – absolutely nothing – half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats.”
Chuck and Linda met one fateful day in August 1972, which Chuck would always describe as the “luckiest day of his life.” They married March 1, 1975. Desiring more time for the outdoors, Chuck and Linda left Southern California and moved to Ashland, Oregon, in 1976. The couple fell in love with the Ashland community and the surrounding natural beauty, which is where Chuck felt most at home for the rest of his life. Chuck loved music wholeheartedly and was an annual patron of the Rogue Valley Symphony and the Britt Festival, and also spent many happy days enjoying the Medford Jazz Jubilee.
Throughout his life, Chuck was personally dedicated to many wonderful community organizations, and insisted that his family also give of themselves to serving others as often as possible. Chuck was a founding member of the Oregon Cultural Trust Board, proudly served on the Oregon Shakespeare Festival Board of Directors, and the Ashland Community Hospital Foundation Board, by which he was honored to receive its Distinguished Service Award. Chuck was also known for his support of Community Works, the Jackson County Fair, and the Boys and Girls Club of the Rogue Valley.
Chuck was a passionate Rotarian with the Noon Rotary Club of Ashland and was a fixture at the club’s Easter egg hunt in Lithia Park for many years. Chuck was a dedicated supporter of Southern Oregon University Raiders and Ashland High School Grizzlies athletics and was a proud member of the Lions Club of Ashland. Chuck and Linda and their children were also members of the First United Methodist Church of Ashland.
In business, Chuck was well respected in the automotive industry in the Pacific Northwest, and his motto was, “The Butler Man Can,” and he usually did. Chuck loved working, owning the Butler family of car dealerships, and working alongside his business partners and valued employees. Chuck loved his employees and his customers, and tried to serve both dutifully in whatever way he was able. Chuck was a lucky man, who led a lucky existence, and was always very grateful. Chuck, at age 82, and Linda retired from the automotive life in December 2021, after Chuck’s 70 years in the car business.
Chuck would express his gratitude toward his many dear friends and fellow community members in Southern Oregon, and beyond, and ask that they continue to carry on the legacy of service that he modeled for his colleagues, community, and family each and every day of his exemplary life. He leaves his family wanting more of his hugs, kisses, conversations, wisdom, and his love. You are loved, Chuck Butler, and always will be.
Memorial gifts in his honor would be received gratefully by the Oregon Shakespeare Festival Donation Office, Ashland Community Health Foundation, Boys and Girls Club of the Rogue Valley, the Britt Festival, Mercy Flights, and the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center in Seattle.