ITHAKA, NY It’s with deep disappointment that Ithaca Faculty shares the information that Lois Butterfield, widow of legendary soccer coach Jim Butterfield, handed away peacefully on Saturday, April 1, on the age of 91.
“There is a seat within the bleachers close to the press field at Butterfield Stadium. It is labeled ‘The Massive L Sits Right here.'” For the 27 years that Jim Butterfield was the pinnacle coach at Ithaca Faculty, his spouse Lois sat in that seat watching the Bombers,” mentioned former Ithaca soccer coach Mike Welch ’73, who served as an assistant underneath Butterfield and succeeded him as head coach. .
Born on July 30, 1932, in Wellesley, Massachusetts, Lois was the youngest of 4 youngsters born to John and Dorothy Day. At age 10, Lois and her household moved to North Falmouth, Cape Cod, the place she would spend her youth. Lois was keen about sports activities, particularly baseball, and performed competitively with lots of the boys she grew up with. She fondly informed the story to her grandchildren concerning the day she hit a house run on the native baseball diamond. One other nice ardour was music, notably jazz. She discovered to play the drums and have become proficient sufficient to play together with her brother John, a pianist, at numerous occasions in and across the Falmouth space.
After highschool, Lois graduated from Bridgewater State Academics Faculty with a level in bodily training and historical past and was employed by Arms Academy in Shelburne Falls as a trainer and coach. There she fell in love with fellow trainer and soccer coach Philip J. Butterfield.
They married and moved to the College of Maine, the place Jim started his teaching profession. Between Maine and Colgate College in Hamilton, New York, the couple had three youngsters, Terry, Kristen and Gail. In 1967, Jim was named head soccer coach at Ithaca Faculty the place he would develop into a champion for 27 years. The proper coach’s spouse, Lois was a passionate soccer fan who by no means missed a sport and most weekdays, she would drive to the school apply subject to look at the final hour of apply.
“He knew the technical aspect of the sport as a coach,” Welch mentioned. “She additionally knew the impression taking part in for her husband would have on a younger man’s life. She knew it will require a ‘Dedication to Excellence’, doing all the pieces the fitting means, with order and integrity.”
She set herself the duty of attending to know all of the gamers on the group, no straightforward activity. After each house sport, he greeted every participant as they left the locker room facility. On the finish of Jim’s profession, the stadium was renamed for him and a seat within the bleachers was painted for Lois with the inscription, “The Massive L Sts Right here”.
“After each house sport he would have a post-game gathering for associates, employees and colleagues,” Welch continued. “He solely had one request, ‘When you come right here once we win, you then BETTER come once we lose.’
Lois grew to become very concerned within the cloth of the Ithaca group. He helped begin a program referred to as Non permanent Households, which helped youngsters discover short-term dwelling preparations with volunteer households throughout tough occasions. This system acquired an award from the state of New York. In later years, Lois labored for Tompkins County Kids and Household Providers the place her contributions have been drastically appreciated.
“Lois was so particular to all of us concerned within the IC soccer household,” mentioned former athletic coach Kent Scriber ’72. “I fondly bear in mind her every day visits to the sector the place she checked not solely the groups’ match preparation but additionally the progress of all of the injured gamers. She cared.”
At Ithaca Faculty, Lois found a thriving jazz program within the Faculty of Music and befriended its director, Steve Brown. He by no means missed a live performance when IC Jazz Lab was taking part in. At her ultimate live performance, she was honored by Steve with a plaque noting her dedication to all issues jazz at Ithaca Faculty.
In 2002, Lois’ beloved Jim died of Alzheimer’s illness. To honor his reminiscence, she wrote a e book about him and referred to as it “Wasn’t That Enjoyable,” a becoming tribute to an incredible man and husband.
Ultimately, Lois returned to her childhood house on Cape Cod, abandoning the numerous associates and associations made in Ithaca. After returning to her roots, she found and threw herself right into a thriving jazz scene and developed many lifelong friendships with many musicians and jazz lovers, particularly at her favourite hangout, The Chart Room.
When the household gathered in Akrotiri throughout the summer time, there could be many required pilgrimages to this seasonal restaurant to listen to the expert musicians. Lois at all times received a seat on the piano bar, the place she may watch her favourite pianist, John Harrison (“he is world class,” she would say) and recognize his each observe. Between tunes, he would usually take a look at her and ask her opinion on the subsequent choice.
Lois shall be fondly remembered for her love and loyalty to her household and associates, in addition to her many passions and blessings that outlined her life.
Lois liked and adored the numerous medical professionals who helped her by way of the challenges she confronted over the previous few years. They embody Cape Cod Hematology Oncology Specialists, Falmouth Hospital Infusion Providers and Drs. Nathan Connell of Brigham and Ladies’s Hospital in Boston. In lieu of flowers, the household requests that donations be made to the Dana-Farber Most cancers Institute in Boston.
Lois is survived by her sister, Dorothy Ellis and her three youngsters, her son Terry Butterfield and daughters Kristen Lemay (Peter D. Lemay) and Gail Butterfield in addition to her grandchildren Andrea Butterfield, Hannah Butterfield, Thomas Lemay, Savanna Butterfield, Alison Lemay and Sarah Butterfield.
“I first met Terry Butterfield when he was the batboy for the 1970 IC baseball group,” Scriber mentioned. “He even traveled with us to the NCAA Regionals in Virginia that 12 months. Years later, I had Kris as a scholar in certainly one of my lessons. Only a nice household and Lois was positively the rock.”
“Everybody is aware of how integral Lois Butterfield was to Bomber Soccer throughout Coach Butterfield’s tenure as head soccer coach,” mentioned Susan Bassett ’79, affiliate vp and director of intercollegiate athletics and campus recreation. “Alumni converse of their interactions together with her with reverence and gratitude. Throughout my tenure as Director of Athletics, I used to be lucky to have a number of interactions with Lois, together with on the 2014 Corridor of Fame ceremony when the 1979 Championship Group was acknowledged, on the Butterfield Golf Outing when she added the title of Mike Welch on the occasion and in lots of electronic mail exchanges. After I had the chance to talk together with her on the telephone, it was clear that she adopted the soccer group and the school with curiosity.”
“As a younger coach at Ithaca, I had a variety of challenges early in my profession,” Welch recalled. “On a trip house from New Jersey, the place Coach Butterfield acquired one other of his many awards, Lois may really feel the stress of being a head coach taking a toll on me bodily and mentally. “Michael, you possibly can’t let this go. let the sport meet up with you. study to let go and learn to calm down,” he suggested. He advisable the e book “The Rest Response” by Herbert Benson, MD. I nonetheless have the copy she gave me and shall be without end grateful for her phrases of knowledge. I’ll miss her humorousness, her love of household and her knowledge concerning the sport of soccer and life. God bless you Lois.”
A celebration of her life shall be held at a later date. Extra data and a tribute wall could be discovered right here.
