Douglas R. Butler

Douglas R. Butler of Shohola, Pennsylvania, the cherished husband of Luanne D’Amato Butler, father of Julian and Quinn, and son of Daniel R. and Linda Butler of Media, died on February 21 of a rare and aggressive renal cancer. He was 56.

Raised in Wallingford, with career years in Tokyo and New York City, Doug became a respected professional in financial risk-management systems, serving major U.S. and world banks. An epicure, adventure seeker, and masterful storyteller, Doug was a man of deep loyalties and wide interests.

Doug graduated in 1983 from Nether Providence High School, where he played football and served as class president. At Lehigh University, in addition to his studies, he played rugby. After college graduation, he set off for Japan, where he completely immersed himself in the local community and became fluent in speaking, reading, and writing Japanese. In 1994, Doug earned an MBA at the Thunderbird School of Global Management (Arizona).  

After business school, Doug returned to Wallingford to reconnect with, and later marry, his junior high school classmate Luanne, the love of his life. He joined the consulting division of PricewaterhouseCoopers shortly thereafter, and the couple moved to Tokyo, where their two sons were born. Seven years later, in 2002, Doug transferred to the New York City office of PricewaterhouseCoopers, staying with the firm after the group’s subsequent sale to IBM, and rising to the position of managing partner for financial services (North America) and for global business services. Doug left IBM in 2015, after which he and two of his colleagues founded a financial risk-management consulting firm. He sold out of that firm in 2019, retiring to the Poconos, where he pursued trout fishing, foraging, brewing, baking, and gardening, all at connoisseur levels. 

Doug’s philanthropic activities included serving as board chairman of Genesys Works National (Houston), which prepares underprivileged high school students for entry into high-promise careers.  

A voracious reader with a sharp wit and levelling eye, Doug wanted to be remembered for the fact that he grabbed life by the horns and had fun. All who knew him smile to remember his long list of “fun things” in his life, including a kaleidoscope of travel adventures around the globe and tender times at home with Luanne and his sons. He is survived by his wife, Luanne; sons Julian and Quinn; siblings Lisa (Daniel), Jeffrey (Sarah), and Gretchen (Jay); in-laws Pete, Jane Marie (Gary), and Gina (Kevin); many nieces and nephews; and innumerable friends.  

Due to the COVID pandemic, no services honoring Doug have been arranged at this time. In lieu of flowers, his family gratefully suggests Genesys Works, or another meaningful charity, for memorial donations in Doug’s name.