Barbara Jean Butler

1943 – 2025

Barbara Jean Butler passed away in Aurora, Ontario, on January 23, 2025, after a lengthy and hard-fought battle with her heart, surviving two major surgeries in the process. She was forever feisty—a woman of immense strength, courage, perseverance, and love. Though short in stature, she backed down to no one and stood tall for her beliefs and loved ones.

Daughter to Harvey Alexander MacPherson and Elizabeth MacPherson (née Laing), Barb was sister to Bruce and predeceased by her older brother Douglas. A loving aunt to John and Matthew MacPherson on her side, as well as Rob, Janice, and Brent Fiander, and Stephanie and Carol-Ann Johnstone on her husband Bob Butler’s side. A dedicated mother to Jason and Brett, as well as a devoted wife to Bob, Barb was grateful to finally become a grandmother this past April and thoroughly enjoyed her granddaughter Layla Jean’s first Christmas. She also delighted in being mother-in-law to Allie Thompson, wife of Brett, and having another woman to deal with her “brood of men.” She will be missed by Carol and Edward Fiander, Anne and Harvey Johnstone, Catherine Schuler, as well as the rest of her extended family and lifelong friends.

Barb was born on November 30, 1943, in Goderich, Ontario, spending her youth there before the family moved to Kitchener. She was a gold medal winner at the Toronto General School of Nursing before receiving a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree, with honours, from the University of Western Ontario. A proud nurse, she served as Supervisor and Teacher at Toronto General Hospital before starting a family. She later returned to the profession in 1985, working part-time at Baycrest Hospital. Her medical expertise also proved invaluable for the countless scrapes and bruises her boys endured growing up and playing sports, which she often got involved with herself as an administrator.

From 1982 to 1985, Barb and her family lived in Indonesia, supporting her husband’s work for IBM. She was the sole family member to learn to speak Bahasa fluently—a great source of pride that allowed her to keep everything in order and her family safe. Barb and Bob made many lifelong international friends, most notably Russell and Yvonne Pearse from Australia, with whom they shared many travel adventures in the decades that followed.

Passionate about volunteering, Barb supported many health organizations and helped run the Willowdale Sports Club while Jason and Brett played hockey. She and Bob lived in North York until their children went off to school, after which they moved to Aurora, Ontario. The couple spent as many summers as possible at their cherished second home in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, on the Mira Gut, where much of Bob’s family resides.

Barb loved to socialize and was dedicated to her weekly bridge game with her closest friends, including Mary Rae Benedict. Even as her eyesight deteriorated, her sharp attention to detail remained—despite being legally blind, she could still spot a speck of dust on the floor from across the room and always kept everyone on their toes when it came to lighting.

She will forever be remembered for her love of family and zest for life, her quick wit, and her never-ending feistiness. To quote Mark Twain: “It’s not the size of the dog in the fight, it’s the size of the fight in the dog.” She fought to the very end.

A Celebration of Life will be held in the spring. To be notified, please email bjb43.celebration@gmail.com.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Heart & Stroke Foundation.

Memories and notes of condolence may be shared at Aftercare Cremation & Burial Service Limited.