Carrol Oliver Buttrill, 91, died on October 8, 2007 at Harbor Hospice House in Beaumont. Born February 7, 1916 in Edna, Texas, he was raised in Port Arthur, Texas as a school boy, graduating from Port Arthur High School. He completed his chemical engineering degree at Texas A&M University with honors in 1938 and embarked on a forty-three year career at the Magnolia Refinery (Mobil) in Beaumont, where he met and married Virginia Grace Johnston.
As a second lieutenant, he was called to active duty at the outset of WWII and spent the war years “fighting the battle of the East coast” as he called it, developing and experimenting with chemical warfare and later serving as an assistant to the Joint Chiefs of Staff at the Pentagon where he rose to the rank of Major. After the war, Carrol focused his efforts on raising his three children while he took on more responsibility at the Mobil Refinery with his leadership abilities.
He was a founder and past chairman of the local chapter of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers and member of the American Chemical Society, charter member and past president of the South Park Rotary Club, a member of the Board of Governors for the United Citizens for Law Enforcement (UCLE) whose purpose was to rid Jefferson County of corruption in the early 1960’s, founding member and past president of the Scottish Society of Southeast Texas and past president of the Paul Revere Chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution (SAR). In the recent years, Carrol became actively involved in the Liberal Arts Development Council of Texas A&M where he worked to promote the importance of teaching ethics in all disciplines at the University and where he established several scholarships.
Carrol was a meticulous organizer and record keeper which served him well with his genealogical research. Since publishing his “Buttrill Family Book” in 1983, he received ongoing inquiries from around the country. His tremendous volumes of information are a tribute to his determination, patience and inquisitive mind.
Above all he was a loving patriarch of two families, showing a genuine interests in all of their pursuits. He said he was twice blessed with two wonderful wives. Family gatherings and the celebration of milestones and holidays were his joy. He had a calm quiet demeanor with the ability to maintain a lively debate on many topics but always listening to both sides of an issue.
He is preceded in death by his parents, Nell Artiemece and John Henry Buttrill; first wife, Grace; and step-daughter, Ruth Joslyn.
He is survived by his children, Carrol O. Buttrill, Jr. and his wife Jo Vita, Gerald H. Buttrill and his wife Diane, and Gael Elinor Buttrill Elliston; four grandchildren, Diane Sepulvado, Belinda Faughn, Jennifer Buttrill and Brittain Cunningham; and three great grandchildren, Jason, Trinity and Craig, Jr.
From his second marriage he is survived by his wife of twenty-three years, Mary Jane; five step children, Mary Belle and her husband Col. Grady Reese, George Damm and his wife Teresa, John Damm and his wife Lauren, Carol and her husband Michael Jerosch-Herold, Jo Ellen and her husband Lee Ritchie; and son-in-law Neal Joslyn; and thirteen step-grandchildren, Bethany, Christian, Maria and David Reese, Alayna Damm, Parker and Jamie Damm, Nicholas and Mollye Joslyn, Alexander and Vincent Jerosch-Herold, and Emily and Amanda Ritchie, and mother-in-law, Mollye Fiorucci.
Funeral service will be 11:00 am on Friday, October, 12, 2007 at Trinity United Methodist Church under the direction of Broussard’s, 1605 North Major Drive, Beaumont. A Christian Vigil will be 7:00 p.m. Thursday, October 11, 2007at the mortuary.
Memorial contributions may be made to Trinity United Methodist Church, P.O. Box 5247, Beaumont, Texas 77726, St. Anne Catholic Church, 2715 Calder, Beaumont, Texas 77704, or Julie Rogers Gift of Life, 3555 Staggs Drive, Beaumont, Texas 77701.
Complete and updated information may be viewed at www.broussardsmortuary.com.
