SUNDRE – The wide-reaching impact a former Sundre Fire Department chief had on the community was plainly evident by the massive turnout for his celebration of life.
The Sundre Community Centre’s seating capacity was full up with people who came out on Saturday, March 15 to pay their respects to Marty Butts, who this past November died at the age of 54. Plenty more were left standing wherever they could find a spot along the walls with a crowd that easily numbered approximately 450.
Butts was fondly remembered for his numerous traits such as being a good friend, loving family man, dedicated volunteer, passionate firefighter, a knowledgeable mentor, and an avid outdoorsman who sported an unmistakable mullet.
Officiating the ceremony was Tony Jordan, a former Sundre councillor, with Tom King offering an opening prayer before Butts’ brother Larry and cousin Cody recounted some memories followed by several heartfelt tributes from his nephews Peter and Matt Couillard.
“Marty came into our lives 20 years ago through our auntie Nicci. A thing that we will never forget is when we saw that amazing mullet,” Peter said to laughter, going onto recount stories of working and learning alongside Butts as he fought back tears.
Several more people – among them Brian Powell, a former deputy chief with the Olds Fire Department – also lined up for an opportunity to speak at an open mic.
The turnout, said Jordan, was a testament to the inspiring influence Butts had on so many people.
“This isn’t everybody; this is a snippet,” said Jordan.
“Marty’s a man who touched many, many lives,” he said, adding that in a time when so many are so quick to tear into one another, Butts never hesitated to set himself aside to help those in need.
Volunteering and helping others were core tenets of his life, and Jordan said Butts was dedicated to bettering the community in more ways than one.
“He was a bigger part of some lives than others, but Lord it’s very obvious he was a massive part of many lives as witnessed by the turnout here today,” said King during a prayer before reciting a poem he’d also prepared, which in part read, “The world is now a lesser place since Marty left the scene. And if you were a friend of his, you’ll notice what I mean.”
Butts joined the Sundre Fire Department as a junior firefighter at age 16 and became a regular member immediately upon turning 18. He served for 32 years, 11 of which were as chief.
Courtesy of his extra-curricular commitment to the fire department, he along the way also began an annual tradition in the form of an ATV poker rally that not only raised funds to help purchase equipment, including the hall’s first Jaws of Life, but also fostered camaraderie.
After his departure from the fire department, he focused on a business he’d previously started called No Surrender Fire Services, which brought him and his crews to a variety of deployments including Fort McMurray and Jasper.
Powell said he had known Butts for more than 30 years and was speaking as a fellow first responder, business associate, No Surrender crew member, and a friend.
“We shared in the wins, the losses, and all the emotions that come with being firefighters,” he said.
“You’re going to hear in conversations ‘Marty was a fighter.’ I’m here to reject that. Marty wasn’t a fighter; he was a protector. A fierce protector. A loyal protector. A protector of his family, his fire family, his friends, and his community,” he said, adding the huge turnout spoke volumes about Butts’ character.
“Not all these firefighters are here for the free food. I see fire faces from Stirling in the south all the way to Slave Lake in the north and beyond,” he said.
Although Butts also had a tendency to be tough as well as stubborn and would take “a little longer than most to cool down,” Powell said he’d once heard that “every good piece of steel has a little temper. And for Marty, that analogy fits.
“But the narrative does not end there for him. Good steel cools slowly and maintains its strength. For Marty, his care and compassion and respect for other people would always prevail. He would cool down, respect, clean up, and move on.”
Amanda Mifsud called Butts her “biggest hero” and described him as a selfless pillar of the community who welcomed her on the department and enabled her to tap into her potential that ultimately led her to become a nurse.
“In celebrating an amazing life today, may we find solace and inspiration to carry Marty’s torch forward, ensuring that the light he brought into our lives continues to shine brightly into the tapestry of our collective memories.”
After a picture slideshow, piper Dale McIntyre performed a rendition of Amazing Grace followed by a reading of The Fireman’s Prayer by Jordan and the final ringing of a bell as per an old firefighting tradition.
