John C. Butman
January 9, 1951 ~ March 23, 2020
Resided in:
Portland, ME
Portland, ME - John Campbell Butman, 69, died suddenly at home of natural causes on March 23, 2020.
John is survived, and was adored, by his wife of forty-three years, Nancy, and his sons, Jeremy and Henry. Also surviving him are his loving sister Marcia and brother Brad, and a gala's worth of family and friends.
A natural storyteller with a vibrant sense of humor, John loved the arts, had an eye for all things finely-made, and believed in the goodness of people. An author, literary agent, consultant and speaker, John was a lifelong learner who immersed himself in the world of ideas. He published seven books, notably New World, Inc., a history, Townie, a novel, Breaking Out, on business strategy, and Why I Love Business, a satirical send-up of business gurus.
John founded two communications firms, The Butman Company and Idea Platforms, Incorporated. His colleagues remember him as a compassionate and brilliant communicator whose best-selling collaborations won critical acclaim. He sat as Chair of the Board at The Cambridge School of Weston, a liberal arts high school, and belonged to innumerable arts organizations. Recently, he proudly joined the literary agency Kneerim & Williams.
John grew up and spent most of his life in Concord, MA, but, with Nancy, he summered on Bailey Island, Harpswell, for over forty years. Moving to Portland in 2016, he loved discovering a new city. He relished walking to the movies, enthusiastically explored the city's restaurants, and developed a fascination with seagulls.
John loved traveling with his family, hiking, skiing, sailing, and attending the theater, a baseball game or tennis match. Above all, John will be remembered as a devoted and loving father and husband, and an easy friend. All will miss his tremendous sense of humor, good-natured teasing, and his profound zeal for life. Arrangements are under the direction of the Conroy-Tully Walker Funeral Home, Portland. To view John's memorial page, or to share an online condolence, please visit www.ConroyTullyWalker.com
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In memory of a dear friend and a truly unique individual. You live on in the your prodigious body of work but especially in our hearts.
– Norma Greenberg
With all my love and sincere sympathy
– Tribute Store
Dear Nancy, Jeremy and Henry: I was so sorry to read of your loss in the New York Times today. I worked with John on a number of projects in the last ten years around the luxury space. He was kind, insightful and a pleasure to work with. I send you my sympathy and am very sorry for your loss. Peter Bates
– Peter J Bates
It’s hard to believe that a year has passed. We thought it would be most fitting to share a part of our book on Carlos Ghosn that John was so instrumental in creating. This is from the preface we’ve just finished: It was US author and literary agent John Butman who initially gave us the idea to become partners, and then provided steady encouragement to cajole two journalists into writing something longer than a thousand words, something that would stand the test of time rather than just recount a day’s or a week’s events. John saw that the Ghosn story was one that went beyond the sensational headlines. He saw something that would captivate people beyond the narrow universes of the auto industry and corporate Japan. And he saw in our pairing that putting together an auto geek and policy wonk could yield something neither of us could do on our own, and we are grateful for all of that. Sadly, John passed away, suddenly, before he could see the finished product. But his spirit and his inspiration can be found in our pages. William Sposato and Hans Greimel
– William Sposato