Obituary of Dr. Robert Murcell Butt

It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Dr. Robert Murcell Butt, age 93, at the Western Long Term Care facility, Corner Brook NL, on November 6, 2023.  Bob is survived by his daughter Susan (Craig) Vokey and their three children, as well as nieces and nephews in the Hegedus and Butt clans and many close friends and “adopted family members”.  He was predeceased by his loving wife Connie (Jerome) and their son Rob, his sister Betty (Jim) Hegedus, brother David (Rudy), and parents Benjamin and Frances (Murcell) Butt.

            Dad was born in St. John’s on May 30, 1930 and raised in Badger, NL where his father ran the local store.  University followed, first at Mount Allison for pre-med and a B.A in Latin and then to McGill medical school in Montreal, QC, graduating in 1954. As a surgical resident, he met and married his “best girl” Connie at the McGill University chapel in the summer of 1956; he then embarked on a travelling surgical residency that saw them move from Montreal to Vancouver to Birmingham, England to Twillingate, NL and points in between.  They finally settled in Corner Brook in 1961 where Bob started his general surgical practice.  He was known as a talented and meticulous surgeon who would often take on the more plastic/reconstructive cases for his surgical colleagues. 

            Bob also developed his skills as a cabinet maker, turning out beautiful furniture pieces for friends and family in his spare time.  He was a life-long member of the Rotary Club of Canada, attaining the Paul Harris Fellowship, and would always manage to attend a weekly meeting no matter where in the world he was at the time; his collection of Rotary Club flags was truly impressive!  He provided the muscle behind his wife’s gardening projects, and could occasionally be cajoled into a round or two of golf or even an evening of bridge with close friends.  He was a regular feature in the bass section of community and church choirs, and in later years became involved in community theatre - first as a prop maker and later on stage.

            After touching many lives in Western Newfoundland, Dad retired from active surgical practice in 1991.  He and Connie moved to BC for a year to “try it out”, got bored, and then moved back to Corner Brook where he began a second career as a surgical assistant.  He finally retired in 2015 at the tender age of 85 due to health issues.  To combat the loneliness after Connie was admitted to hospital in 2017, he moved in with close family friends Sid and Shirley Butt before finally transitioning into care in 2020.

            My father was a quiet, intelligent, dignified man with a bone-dry sense of humour and a deep and abiding love for good Chinese food.  He was always very proud of who he was, what he did, and where he came from.  I will miss our race to the finish for the Globe and Mail weekend crossword puzzle (done in pen, mind you - pencils were for “cheaters”!) and seeing his delight in how much information one could access in seconds on a smart phone.  Dad, we’ll miss you!

            A memorial service will be held at First United Church in Corner Brook on Thursday, July 18 at 1 pm.  In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to Western Long Term Care, the Western Regional Hospital Foundation or the First United Church in Corner Brook NL.