Marlborough – Deirdre Butts, 66, of Marlborough died Thursday March 23, 2023 at UMASS Memorial Hospital in Worcester after a righteous 5 year battle with cancer.
She was born in Stoneham, MA, the daughter of the late Franklin R. and Catherine (Sullivan) Hart and was a 1974 graduate of Arlington High School. She graduated from the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and later Mass Bay Community College. As an RN she worked in the Operating Room at MetroWest Medical Center in Framingham for many years. She was a member of the former St. Ann’s Church in Marlborough and a devout Catholic.
She leaves two daughters, Jennifer Romano and husband Angelo of Clinton, and Megan Lamattina and fiancé Shane Pacific of Marlborough; her sister Darlene Hart and husband George Allen of Arkansas; two brothers, George Hart of California and Richard Hart of Stoneham; four grandchildren, Joey Serrano and Olivia Romano both of Clinton and Blake and Lana Pacific both of Marlborough; many nephews, nieces and cousins. She was the sister of the late Franklin J. Hart and Donna E. Hart and wife to the late Richard R. Butts who died in 2003.
She enjoyed spending time at the Marlborough Senior Center and trying new activities with her dear friend & neighbor Cathy. She loved bird watching, her quirky cats, collecting shells and rocks at the beach, and four-leaf clovers nearly anywhere they grew (so much so, we started to think they were not actually “lucky”). Deirdre loved the night sky and spent many nights on her back porch in awe of the expansive array of stars and clusters above. She loved Boston sports, especially football Sundays with her son-in-law, Angelo. And while she maintained that she didn’t fall for infomercials, her frequent QVC receipts say otherwise.
More than anything, she loved spending time with her grandchildren. Her bedroom adorned a gallery wall of their art and letters, a shrine of love that kept her grounded in gratitude as she battled cancer each day.
Always led by faith and gratitude with room for the dark humor of it all, people will remember her witty cynicism, her unapologetic independence, her beautiful smile. She had a survivor’s heart, and understood both the pain and utter joys of life. We will miss her every day.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be Celebrated Saturday April 1 at 9:30 AM in St John the Guardian of Our Lady Parish, 80 Union Street, Clinton. Burial will be private. Calling hours will be held Friday March 31 from 6-8 PM in the Collins Funeral Home, 378 Lincoln Street, Marlborough.
All are invited to sign Deirdre’s online guestbook at www.collinsfuneral.com.
In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to Farm Sanctuary www.farmsanctuary.org/giving/.
