February 15, 2021 at 7:19 p.m.
Thomas Alan Buttars
Thomas Alan Buttars
Tom married Mo Neal on Jan. 2, 1984 during a typical Northwoods -25 degree F day. Whenever they were later asked “how long have you been married?” the in-unison reply was “Too g--damn long!”
Tom was a Chicagoan born on April 14, 1945 with a grandfather who was a lighthouse keeper around various Lake Michigan towns. His parents were George Shryer Buttars and Laura Wadsworth Buttars. Tom was the third of three kids: Kent Buttars, Georgia Buttars Wulff, and Jane Buttars Harris, all of Milwaukee. Erica Wulff Rawling (Jesse Rawling) Milwaukee, and Kurt Wulff (Kirstin Tjelle Wulff) Trondheim, Norway are his niece and nephew. Great nephews and niece are Max Rawling of Minneapolis, and Sivert and Sofie Wulff, Trondheim, Norway.
With his brother and a group of high school friends, they opened a rock-n-roll bar called the Woodshed in Northern Wisconsin in the late 60s early 70s. A log building was in bad shape and they added on, rebuilt sections and had a great old time running it for several summers near Minocqua. Tom and Mo got to visit it in July 2019, with Ed Carlson. It is now called the Black Bear Bar having survived numerous winters and owners.
The family is full of artists, educators and engineers, so reunions were lively. Tom was a graduate of Northwestern University with a BS in zoology, UW Milwaukee in business and a PhD in financial accounting from University of Wisconsin-Madison. His first computer was an IBM PC 25 and he sent Mo a love song from it over a landline phone. Their first camping trip was spent outside DC in Maryland so Tom could do research for his dissertation at the Security Exchange Commission in the days of microfiche.
Then the moves started. First home was in Colton, Wash., near Pullman and Washington State University. They got the landlady from hell, Lorrie, who’d been a “camp follower” as the dams were built along the nearby Snake River. She thought windows did not need glass, but she didn’t mind having three dogs. Mo completed a BA at WSU and Tom decided to move on in 1988, accepting a position at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Va. Settling in Williamsburg, Va., in 1989, they split commutes for two years between Norfolk and Richmond while Mo was in grad school at VCU. They got to vote for Virginia’s first black governor, Doug Wilder, who then had to implement a 5% budget cut across the state’s schools. Last in, first out, they were packing again this time landing in Vermillion, S.D., where Tom taught financial accounting from 1992 to 2008 when he retired. Starting in 1994 they commuted between S.D. and Lincoln, Neb., until 2011 where Mo taught sculpture until retiring in 2015.
Shortly after their marriage Tom renewed an interest in biking but it took the form of motorcycles. He rode like a madman for the remainder of his life, becoming an avid proponent of all things BMW. He served the BMWMOA as treasurer of the national organization from 2008 to 2014. His integrity helped guide them through the hard times of the 2008 recession. He was very proud of his work as a BMW ambassador and as treasurer. In fact, many of his best friends were other riders in this group. Tom owned 4-6 motorcycles over the years. He left a ’78 airhead R100RS, a 2006 Racer and 2007 Enduro with well over 100,000 miles on each behind. As Dave Bak said, “He was a riding fool!”
The man had a dry wit. Friends tell stories of it. A shepherd we had, Ivy, had severe hip dysplasia and was put down while we were in Vermillion. Several USD B-School colleagues were having coffee when Tom said, “I buried the dog last night.” A faculty member asked in all seriousness, “Is it dead?” Tom paused a beat or two, looked at his watch, and said, “Should be by now.”
A grad school buddy from Madison recounts how her cockatiel landed on Tom’s head one evening. The bird made its way down to Tom’s ear nibbling gently. His response, “I think I am getting turned on!”
Tom measured all distances in decimals. Ask him how far and he’d answer, “Point 3 miles,” or “1,320.7 miles.” He was specific about everything except what he wanted for dinner. If it was plentiful, he was happy.
Since the 2016 election and his health diminishing Tom was glued to the news. He often said it was the most entertaining show on earth. Mo had doubts. They often yelled at the TV in unison!
The last year they were able to catch up with a few old friends. A trip through Madison and a stay with Tom and Fran Linsmeyer; a rendezvous in Eutaw, Ala., to reconnect with Mo’s sister, Carol and her husband Jimmy Fleming as Tom returned from a trip to Florida having met up with the Pirates of Conch Republic. They were visited by Tom Nord and Sue Rihn; Kevin Murphy, Tom’s grad school roomie; Doug Crow, Michael Bedeau, and Larry Anderson. Erica Wulff and Jesse Rawling, our niece and her husband flew in one snowy night in January for a visit. In July 2019, a week was spent in Minocqua on Sunday Lake with family at his sister Georgia’s. Had a few swims, sun, wine and a pontoon tour of lake with Jim and CJ Auer. All together it was a year of looking forward to travel and friends.
On Aug. 29 Tom started the daily chemo pill. Gradually he began remission. In October he started going shopping again. The last photo taken was of him gleefully holding a couple of skull mugs he found in an after Halloween sale bin. His last two weeks were spent walking every day about a mile. He was enjoying getting out of house and moving around. Tom returned early from a walk as he’d gotten so winded, he had to come back. Two days later he had a fever and chills. When he got up next morning they drove to his standing appointment. Both had anticipated this blood test would be in the normal range for the first time in years. But on arrival he could not ambulate, and his blood pressure was dropping. His blood oxygen was at 70 and dropping. EMTs took him to hospital where he coded, was revived but coded again. His heart just quit.
Submitted by Mo Neal.
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