Hal Butts

HAROLD WAYNE (HAL) BUTTS

November 5, 1948 to June 17, 2022

Harold Wayne (Hal) Butts, 73, passed away peacefully

 at his home near Tomball, Texas on June 17, 2022 after

a seven year battle with cancer.

Hal was born in Rapid City, SD on November 5, 1948 to his parents, Frederic Watson Butts and Anna Wilhemina (Cofoid) Butts.  He spent the first years of his life in Keystone, SD where he attended school through the 5th grade.  In 1959 his family moved to Newcastle, Wyoming where he graduated with honors from Newcastle High School in 1966. 

Following his graduation, Hal attended the University of Wyoming where, in 1970, he earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Education with a major in History and a minor in Economics.

On August 15th, 1970, Hal married the one true love of his life, Karen (McCoy) Butts.  After a brief honeymoon, the couple moved to Pagosa Springs, Colorado where he taught high school History, Economics and Business Law.  He also was the assistant football and basketball coach.  In 1972, wanderlust took the couple to Ft. Collins, Colorado where their first son, Brett Anthony Butts was born on June 1, 1973.  Shortly after his birth, they moved to Kimball, Nebraska where Hal taught and coached for six years.  While living in Kimball, their second son, Brian Patrick Butts, was born on August 24, 1976. On Valentine’s Day in 1979 he gave his wife the gift of resigning from his teaching position. At the end of the school year, they moved to Newcastle, Wyoming temporarily until Hal landed a new job.

On October 1, 1979, Hal started his career with Shell Pipe Line Corporation on the Butte Pipe Line System in Baker Montana. On November 11, 1980 their daughter, Jodi Lynn Butts Edgar was born. Early in 1981, a promotion took the family to Odessa, Texas where Hal began as a Meter Measurement Technician Trainee, which soon turned into the status of Meter Measurement Technician for a total of 5 years in the field.  During that time, he trained four other Meter Measurement Technicians. 

On July 1, 1985 Hal moved to the district office in Midland, Texas as a Division Measurement Analyst. On July 1, 1987 he was promoted to Operation’s Supervisor at Goldsmith, Texas.

In July of 1989, Hal was transferred to SPCL’s head office in Houston as a Measurement Analyst. While there, he served as a Hazardous Waste Analyst for two years before moving back into measurement.  For the last two years of Hal’s career, he worked in Shell Pipe Line’s Community Awareness Group where he was in charge of SPLC’s Community Awareness Council, which was charged with meeting Shell’s DOT requirements for public education and pipeline safety.

On September 31, 2004, one day short of 25 years of service, Hal retired at the age of 55.  For the next two years, he helped his wife get her photography business up and running on the computer.  In 2006, he began doing some contract consulting for various oil and gas companies in Texas and throughout the U.S. 

Cancer first raised its ugly head in 2015 which ended Hal’s consulting career.   After living in Cypress Texas for 29 years, the couple moved to their new home near Tomball in November of 2018.

Hal enjoyed hunting, especially coyote hunting, fishing, collecting old and new guns, and golfing. He took great pleasure in watching his children grow to becoming productive adults and in watching his four grandchildren grow.  In his youth, he loved baseball and learned to play the game which, in later years, culminated in him being a huge Houston Astro fan. 

Hal is preceded in death by his parents, Watson and Ann.  He is survived by his wife, Karen, son Brett (Leda) Butts and grandson Joshua, son Brian (Tina) Butts and granddaughter Bailey, and daughter Jodi (Matt) Edgar and grandchildren Heidi and Jeffrey.  He is also survived by his older sister, Judith Strain of Missoula MT, a niece, Jolene Tatum from Missoula, MT and a nephew, Jim Strain of Billings, MT, and numerous cousins.  His ashes will be interned at Spring-Klein Memorial Park near Tomball on 2920.

A Memorial Service will be held at Foundry UMC

8350 Jones Road, Houston TX  77065

Saturday, July 9, 2022 at 2pm

His ashes will be interned at Klein Memorial Park Cemetery

MEMORIAL CONTRIBUTIONS:  In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to MD Anderson Cancer Center in his name.  www.mdanderson.org.