Warren F. "Butch" Priest, Jr.

It is with great sadness that I announce the death of my dearly beloved husband, Warren Freeman Priest, Jr. on Friday November 27, 2020. He is now whole, healthy & in Gods great care. Our love for each other made us bloom & glow for 58 years :) I met "Butch" Priest, a charming, gregarious redhead, on Sept. 29, 1962. We snagged each others hearts on that first date, became engaged 4 1/2 months later & married 10 months later, on July 13, 1963. My sweetheart was fiercely & tenderly devoted to me. He made me feel cherished & like the most wonderful wife in the world. My husband was the essence of a true, gentle gentleman, a man of high ideals, strong morals & a strong belief in God; he was a man of sterling qualities, a man of integrity. Humble & modest, he was well respected & beloved by everyone. To know him was to love him :) He was a man with a huge, compassionate heart, who had a special gift of connecting with everyone with his friendly warm nature, his sparkling blue eyes & smile, quick wit & lively sense of humor. Butch often said to me, "My goal in life is to help others, to bring them joy & to make them feel good." He certainly did achieve that goal!!! He also said many times, "God loves every person; our job is to find the goodness in them." "Everyone has a story to tell, honey."  Butch, as I always called him, was the most loving, wonderful soulmate & dearest friend. He was ecstatic about becoming a father to our two daughters - Christina Beebe & Kimberly LaClair, & to our son, Gregory. His love was profound for our cherished grandchildren - 7 of our biggest blessings: Cate & Jack Beebe, Ian, Lindsay & Brandon LaClair, Gregory Warren & Alexa Priest. All of these children and our adored sons-in-law will always treasure the memories of this fun, caring, patient, thoughtful, kind & devoted family man.  A native of Wellesley, MA, he was a superlative athlete, a 1959 graduate of Dartmouth College & a member of Casque & Gauntlet Honorary Society, & was an officer in the Navy for two years. He then worked for the Aetna Life Insurance Co. for 37 years in the Group & Pensions Dept. He began his career in Boston & while there, we lived in Cambridge & Wellesley, before the Aetna home office called him to Hartford in 1968. We thoroughly enjoyed our home, church & community in Avon for 40 years, during which time my husband played a great deal of tennis & golf, coached baseball, was President of the Avon Little League for 6 years & was very active in our church. Later in life, we both served as tutors in the "Read To Succeed" program & he, with his cheerful manner & engaging smile, delivered food for "Meals on Wheels". In 2008, we moved to Collinsville, where we lived for 6 1/2 years with our much loved German Shepard, Tazzy, & with our wonderful neighbors!!! Everyone enjoyed watching Butch & Taz as they walked many, many miles in the neighborhood. :)  Nothing gave "Daddy"/"Grampy"/"Pops"/ "Popster" more pleasure than being with our precious family. He read to them, taught them, played with them, coached them, encouraged & rooted for them during their various sports or musical activities. He was enormously proud of each & every one of them!! The most memorable times were when our Priestly clan gathered for two weeks each summer on Marthas Vineyard or Cape Cod, or traveled in our VW camper bus as far north as Prince Edward Island & as far south as the Florida Keys. They were super-duper, sometimes hysterical, trips!!! Those times of togetherness will remain in our hearts (& in our photograph albums) forever. I, particularly, have often reminisced about our delightful trips abroad, trips to Maine & the Cape - just the two of us "honeymooning" once again. Unfortunately, in 2005, Alzheimers crept into our lives, as it had for his beloved mother. We went through three trials at Yale over the course of 7 years - our "contribution" to help find a cure for this wretched disease. Butch's life on earth has come to an end. We know he lives again in the Heavenly realm, where he is surely charming everyone there & waiting for me with smiles, hugs, & more love.  :) I cant wait to be with him again, as this is the only place I have ever wanted to be - in his arms. From the depths of my heart, I thank our three children & their spouses for their unfailing dedication, hard work, support & love which has sustained me. We are exceedingly grateful for our friends & extended familys prayers, cards, calls & hugs. We have been greatly uplifted by their support & encouragement. We now embrace our own lives to the fullest in honor & in memory of him - our shining example of how to love & how to bring joy to the lives of others. Our heartfelt gratitude also extends to all the caregivers who have lovingly cared for my sweetheart for so many years. It has taken a "village" to care for him. Warren/Butch/Daddy/Grampy leaves a powerful legacy & a challenge to emulate the values & beliefs that guided his life. In his honor, & because he was a man who had a strong belief in the institution of marriage & in raising healthy, God-loving families & who loved his family most of all, in lieu of flowers, donations may be made to: Visionary Family Ministries c/o Rob Rienow, 205 N. Washington St. Wheaton, IL 60187 or to Valley Community Baptist Church, 590 West Avon Rd., Avon, CT 06001. Services will be private for Warrens family. The Carmon Funeral Home & Family Center of Avon is caring for the arrangements.