Brian A. Button

Brian A. Button CHELSEA — Brian Arthur Button, 82 died peacefully on December 15, 2023, surrounded by family at Gifford’s Garden Room. Brian was born at the home farm in Chelsea on May 26, 1941; son of Arthur C. Button and Marian Wight Button. He attended Chelsea Public and High School and graduated in 1959. He was an active FFA member and developed his passion for playing baseball on his high school team and his love for the NY Yankees. He played the trumpet in high school and this skill won him a slot in Dick Ellis’ band and a trip to Kansas City to perform with other Vermont high school students. From a young age, growing up on the Farm, his entrepreneurial spirit flourished. He and his brother Clayton had a very successful and large-scale business raising pullets for wholesale. This business acumen and his commitment to conscientious spending, served him well throughout his life and it is a lesson he passed on to his children and grandchildren. Brian married Jean E. Goodrich on May 7, 1966 and they made their home together in Chelsea for the next 57 years. They raised three daughters, Connie Button; partner Jeffrey Paquette of East Randolph, VT, Charlotte Mullen; husband Thomas Mullen of Tunbridge, VT and Carolyn Button of Queen Creek, AZ. Brian was a member of the VT National Guard, honing his sharp shooting skills. He helped his team, Troop A, Second Recon Squadron, 172nd Armor take home the adjutant generals trophy; besting out 12 teams in competition. He won an individual medal for taking first place in the 200-yard rapid fire. Brian worked for over 20+ years at Rock of Ages as a stone cutter while also obtaining his Real Estate License and founding Button Real Estate where he worked up until his 70s. During his real estate career, he met many people from far and wide and never forgot a sale. He kept meticulous records! Brian liked fast cars as evidenced by his collection of classic corvettes. He recounted stories of car chases, Dukes of Hazard style. He was proud to show off these cars in local parades burnin’ a little rubber for the crowd. Anyone who knew Brian, knew of his greatest passion, which was everything hunting and being outdoors. He was a skillful trapper and used his success to take his daughters traveling out of Vermont. He felt it was important for them to experience other places. They traveled to Aruba, Acapulco, Florida, Georgia, and Washington DC. He and his wife loved to go on bus tours and visited Whelan, WV, Nashville, TN, several National Parks and took an Alaskan cruise. It was said he was the “life of the party” on many of these trips. Brian had many treasured hunting buddies. He enjoyed his hunting camp on Stannard Mountain in Stannard. VT and his special back farm property in Chelsea. There are many hunting stories recounted whenever you meet someone who knew him. He taught his daughters and grandchildren all about the woods and tracking and firearms. He used a recurve bow to hunt deer (even though compounds would be easier!). He had a massive gun collection and reloaded much of his own ammunition. Anyone who gets a box and opens it will find inside explicit notes of the type of ammo and how it fires at certain distances. To say Brian kept records is putting it mildly. His notes on every file, every piece of mail, on the walls of his home will serve as a legacy for his family and the knowledge contained in all these notes is invaluable. Brian believed in service and enjoyed helping to cook and serve at the men’s breakfast as his Church for over 50 years, The United Church of Chelsea. He was a spiritual person, who believed in God and he loved to sing out loud and proud during many a hymn on Sunday mornings. Brian was a strong presence in our lives and in the lives of many in his beloved hometown of Chelsea. We will miss his wit, his invaluable knowledge, his guidance and him. As one of his grandchildren said, “he was a legend”. Brian leaves behind a brother, Clayton Button; wife Diane of Nottingham, NH. His grandchildren, Morgan Tullar; partner Oliva Spence of Providence, RI, Samantha Tullar Yerk; husband Michael Yerk and great granddaughter Reese Yerk of Loveland, CO; Layne Mullen, Tunbridge, VT; Trevor Long of Austin, TX; Sullivan Mullen; wife Emily Mullen and great grandson, Silas of Vershire, VT and many nieces, nephews and cousins. He was predeceased by his parents and his brother Wendell Button; wife Virginia Button of Spartanburg, SC. A funeral will be held on May 11th at 1:00 p.m. at the United Church of Chelsea with his burial to follow at the Highland Cemetery. A celebration of his life is being planned, following the funeral at one of his favorite places the Chelsea Fish and Game club (of which he was a long-time member). Memorial contributions in his honor can be made to Gifford’s Last Mile Ride, 44 South Main Street, Randolph, VT 05060 in support of the Garden room and the staff who took such great care of Brian and his family at the end of his life and to the Chelsea Senior Center of Chelsea VT. The Boardway and Cilley Funeral Home, Chelsea, VT is in charge of arrangements. A private message of sympathy for the family can be shared at www.boardwayandcilley.com.