Class Roster B

Biography: (Updated – 2008)

I have no complaints about how life has been to me. I am married to my charm and very happy. We stay busy with camping , dancing, bowling, boating, and traveling to new places every year when possible. I have two boys (27 & 19), who look just like me, and 4 sweet grandbabies who I adore. I moved to Florida in 1987 and love it here. I’ve been a Secretary almost all my life, however I recently received my AA Degree in Paralegal Studies. It was great to see the class pictures of the reunion, and sad to see those who have passed. I hope to make it to the next reunion.

I moved to North Carolina after high school to attend Wake Forest University. After graduation, I began my teaching career in Burlington, NC. Two years later, I moved to Chapel Hill where I taught high school science for 32 years, finishing my career at Carrboro High School.

In 1999, I became one of the first science teachers in the nation to earn National Board Certification. I have been an active member of the local AFT serving as president and treasurer for the more than 20 years. I have also been active in many other areas professionally and have received numerous awards for my teaching over the years. I mentored students from the University of North Carolina who were preparing to enter teaching for 20 years. I was also the primary ELL science teacher at the high school for the last 7 years of my career.

I married my wife Paula in 1995. We met through a mutual friend and I asked her to marry me after spending a week together during a spring break visit to New Hampshire in 1994. We presently live in Hillsborough, NC. Paula is a retired nurse who worked at UNC Hospitals for 25 years. We have one son, Theodore, who is working in the culinary field out in Oregon at the present.

I still volunteer with the ELL students at his former high school, serving as a mentor to those students and the teachers who work with them. I also provide support and guidance for my former ELL students when they embark on different career paths after graduation.

Since my retirement, I have been writing about baseball for SABR where I have had over 100 articles published on players and games. My wife and I travel as much as possible. We have visited five continents at this point and have plans to visit the rest soon. I enjoy cooking and make most of the meals at our house. I keep a blog of those meals called Cooking and My Family.

After High School I joined the Air Force and was stationed in Louisiana but spent most of my time traveling the world on special assignments.   For national security reasons I can’t talk about it…just kidding, I was a non-destructive inspection specialist (I x-rayed airplanes).

After my tour I returned to West Islip, kicked around a bit, married Donna Schmitt and had 2 great kids.  I started working for the United States Postal Service in ’86 and around that same time I started teaching myself the ancient art of Tattooing.  In ’93, I opened my first studio (LOTUS TATTOO in Sayville, NY). It quickly became internationally known throughout the tattoo world and I earned a certain degree of celebrity in our little community.  I was featured in magazines and newspaper articles.   

In ’98, I was unfortunately divorced and sold my studio.  I opened my next studio in 2000 and retired from tattooing in 2003.  Since my retirement, I’ve been dabbling in photography and just started my own website ( http://www.thombutler.net). My photography is also featured on another website ( http://butl950.deviantart.com).

I am currently engaged and have a truly beautiful (if I must say so myself) little 3 year old girl.  My fiancée is also expecting our second child in Oct.  Now, I know most of my contemporaries are becoming grandparents or soon to become grandparents, but I’ve never been one to “go with the flow”..hee-heee-heee….