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William D. Sommerville, affectionately known as Butch, passed away on Sept. 14, 2023, at the age of 82 in Billings, Montana. Born on Feb. 22, 1941, in Aberdeen, Washington, Butch lived a life filled with love, laughter, and a deep commitment to his family and community.
Butch graduated from high school in Greybull, Wyoming,. in 1961 and married Jolynn Phillips in 1963. They were married for 60 years and were blessed with two children, Lisa and Billy. Butch worked for Marathon Pipeline for 36 years before retiring in 1999. He took pride in his work and transferred with the company to Salsbury, Missouri; Worland, Wyoming; and ended his career back in Powell, which was always “home” to him. Butch was an avid sports fan, and a loyal supporter of the Wyoming Cowboys, Denver Broncos, New York Yankees and Powell Panthers. Butch himself was a great athlete and was inducted into the Wyoming Softball Hall of Fame in 1998, and will be remembered for his stellar pitching. He was also a Golden Gloves State Champion in 1963.
Butch also enjoyed fishing, camping and sharing a beer with his many friends. He was a member of the Elks and Eagles in Powell. If Butch wasn’t at a sporting event, you could probably find him in downtown Powell, where he didn’t know a stranger. Above all, he loved watching his grandkids play sports. He was an amazing grandpa and will be missed dearly by his five grandkids.
He is survived by his wife Jolynn, his son Billy (Ronnie) Sommerville, and his grandchildren Rayce (Alyssa) Kaufmann, Calynn (Jesse) Kling, Austen Sommerville, Alli “Red” Sommerville and Brittney Howard. His great-grandchildren are Breckyn and Brightyn Kaufmann and Ashlyn Kling. Butch was preceded in death by his parents, his daughter Lisa Howard (Bob), and siblings James Sommerville and Janette Herman.
Butch’s memorial service will be held on Sept. 20, 2023, at Thompson Funeral Home in Powell, Wyoming. The service will commence at 1 p.m. Family and all those who had the privilege of knowing Butch are invited to honor his memory and celebrate his remarkable life. A reception to follow at The Red Zone.
Should you wish to leave a memorial, you may honor Butch’s support of the military at Tunnell to Towers Foundation (t2t.org).
To view services on Facebook live please follow the following link: facebook.com/events/s/william-butch-sommerville-memo/1447995346055644/?mibextid=RQdjqZ.
