Butterworth, George F. Jr.

Description

George Forrest Butterworth was born on November 19, 1917, in New York City, New York, to Isabel Imlay Baird, age 25, and George Forrest Butterworth, age 25. He had a sister Isabelle and a brother Jack. In Rye his family lived on Ridgewood Drive and were members of Christ’s Church.

George graduated the Choate School at
Wallingford, Conn, in 1936. He attended Harvard and,
later, Trinity Colleges. At the latter
he was a member of the staff of the
college paper, the Tripod; of the
dramatic club, the Jesters and of Delta
Kappa Epsilon Fraternity.

Immediately prior to his entry into the Army
he was employed by the New York
firm of William A. White and Sons as
a real estate salesman.

George served as an officer in the U.S. Army Air Corps during World War II. He entered the Service January 5,
1941, subsequently attending, and
graduating with his Second Lieutenant’s commission from the AAF Officer Candidate School at Miami Beach,
Florida, September 16, 1942.

George went overseas in February, 1943 and served until April, 1944 with the 325th Fighter Group which received two Presidential Unit Citations for operations over Sardinia and North Italy.

The 325th received a Distinguished Unit Citation (DUC) for action over Sardinia on 30 July 1943 when the group, using diversionary tactics, forced a superior number of enemy planes into the air and destroyed more than half of them.

George then served as a captain in the 15th Air Force, Intelligence Division.

Fifteenth Air Force (15th AF) was established on 1 November 1943 in Tunis, Tunisia as part of the United States Army Air Forces in the Mediterranean Theater of Operations as a strategic air force. It commenced combat operations the day after it was formed. The first commander was General Jimmy Doolittle.

Once bases around Foggia in Italy became available, the 15th was able to reach targets in southern France, Germany, Poland, Czechoslovakia, and the Balkans, some of which were difficult to reach from England.

Captain George Butterworth was entitled to
wear the National Defense Medal and
the Europe-Africa-Middle East Campaign ribbon with three stars.

After the service, he became the 56th chartered financial analyst in the United States.

Born in New York City, George lived in Rye, Rochester and Sodus Point, and retired to Hilton Head Island, S.C. for almost 40 years to enjoy the relaxed lifestyle.

He will be fondly remembered for the always classic bow-tie collection he wore with pride. He was honored to be a past president and lifetime member of Sodus Bay Heights Golf Club.

George Forrest Butterworth III died on Jan. 13, 2012.

At the time of his death, he was survived by his loving wife, Janet’ two sons, Bill (Jodi) and George IV (Melody); daughter, Marilee Smith; three grandchildren; two great-grandchildren; and devoted family mascot, Penny.