Sewall Tolbert Butler, 93, long time resident of Cromwell, passed away on Tuesday afternoon, March 11, 2014 with two of his sons by his side. He was born August 25, 1920, in Terryville to the late Sylvester B. Butler and Eva Lutz Butler.
Sewall attended Mt. Herman prep school and graduated from Fitch High School in Groton. He attended the University of New Mexico and finished his studies at Willimantic State Teachers College (now Eastern Connecticut State University). During World War II he served as a Lieutenant in the Merchant Marines. During this time he met his future wife, Jacqueline Williams. They were married in her hometown of Woodstock, VT in July of 1943.
After the war, Sewall taught school in Castine, ME and Goshen, CT before accepting a position as a Safety Inspector for Travelers Insurance Company in Hartford. The family moved to Cromwell in 1956, where his family roots go back to the town's founding. He worked at Travelers for 20 years and another 10 years at Zurich American in New Haven and retired in 1985. In retirement, he and Jackie traveled in Europe and Hawaii as well as several cross country trips in their motor home.
Known to his friends as Curly, Sewall belonged to various civic organizations and ran for First Selectman of Cromwell in 1971, as well as the Elks and the SKPs motor home club. He was a member of the Church of the Holy Trinity in Middletown, where he was a lay reader, a member of the Brotherhood of St. Andrew and a member of the Couples Club.
Sewall was predeceased by his wife, Jackie, one week short of their 55th anniversary. He is survived by his five children: Jacqueline Butler Bieber and her husband Erwin of Gales Ferry, Susan Butler Czaja and her husband Ken of Middlefield, Sewall Tolbert Butler Jr. and his wife Linda of Rocky Ridge, MD, David M.H. Butler and his wife Ruby of Cromwell, and L. Nathan Butler and his wife Renée of Albuquerque, NM; 13 grandchildren and 18 great-grandchildren.
A memorial service was held on Sunday, March 16 (His wife's birthday) at the Church of the Holy Trinity, with a reception to follow. His ashes were buried May 24th in the a family plot at the Hillside Graveyard in Cromwell.