Born to the late David R. Finlay and Dorothea (Guppy) Finlay, on June 4, 1939, in Boston, Janice grew up in the Point of Pines, Revere, and graduated from Revere High School. A graduate of Chandler School for Women in Boston, she worked as a licensed real estate and insurance broker in Massachusetts until moving with her late husband Lawrie Butler and their four children to assignments at naval bases across the US and overseas.
Janice relished and excelled at her nomadic life as a Navy/NCIS wife and homemaker counting fifteen moves during her 65-year marriage. While she worked at a variety of interesting jobs over the years to include U.S. Customs Inspector, loss prevention manager for a major retailer, background investigator for the nuclear power industry, hotdog sales lady at Jack Murphy Stadium in San Diego, and bird store manager in Falmouth, Janice is best remembered for her skill as a loving mother, homemaker, cook, and hostess. She reveled in preparing elaborate and delicious dinners for family and friends.
An avid tennis player, Janice also enjoyed softball, bowling, sailing and bocce. Her favorite activities included travel, cooking/entertaining, quilting, sewing, and collecting recipe books. She loved little animals and local wildlife. She and Lawrie were loyal fans of the Bourne Braves baseball team.
Janice, known as “Rosebud” to family and friends, was predeceased by her brother, David Finlay; stepsister, Margaret; husband, Lawrie; and their infant son, Matthew David. She is survived by four children: Dan and spouse, Karen (Coyne) Butler of Wareham, MA; L. Matthew and spouse, Myra (Molano) Butler of Jacksonville, FL; Pamela and spouse, Thomas Reese of Green Cove Springs, FL; and Theresa and spouse, Norbert Deminne, of Hughesville, MD. She is also survived by eight grandchildren: Police Officer John Butler, Hartford PD; Special Agent Kate (Butler) Farrell, and spouse, Special Agent Derek Farrell, both with NCIS; Michael Gindler; CAPT Ryan Gindler, USAF, and spouse Kandez; Christen Gindler; Rachel Gindler; Kevin Deminne; Renée Deminne; and, three great-grandchildren: Kally, Kade and Ripley Gindler; and many nieces and nephews.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Janice’s memory to the Birdsey Cape Wildlife Center, Barnstable, MA.
A visitation/wake will be held 4-7pm Monday, Sep 9th, at Nickerson-Bourne Funeral Home, 40 MacArthur Blvd., Bourne, MA. Funeral Mass will be 10am Tuesday, Sep 10th, at St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church, 841 Shore Road, Pocasset, MA, followed immediately by Committal/Burial service at the National Cemetery adjacent to Joint Base Cape Cod/Otis Air National Guard Base.
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