Obituary: Arthur Butcher
The 86-year-old Bronx native was a fierce competitor in tennis and cards and a loyal New York sports fan.
Arthur Leonard Butcher, 86, passed away peacefully Monday, May 15, 2017, at the William Breman Jewish Home.
He moved to Atlanta from Larchmont, N.Y., with his wife, Eleanor, to retire and be with family in 1990. Born in the Bronx, N.Y., he attended Monroe High School, where he met and married Eleanor Nachmanson, his wife of 64 years. They later moved to Mamaroneck, where they started a family and Artie started his business, Artel Interior Decorators. A talented designer and skilled craftsman, he created custom cabinetry and upholstery by hand until hiring employees. He had a knack for design sketch and an instinctual flair for color, design and textiles, earning him a large New York clientele, many of whom counted on him as a close friend. Artie remained a loyal New York sports fan even after moving to Georgia.
He was a fierce competitor, especially when it came to tennis, bridge and gin rummy. “Losing” was not in his vocabulary. He took up tennis in his early 30s and played ALTA until shortly before moving into the William Breman Jewish Home in 2015. Diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia in 2000, he was aware of his progressive aphasia but remained in exceptional physical health until recently.
Always generous with his love and affection, he is survived by his wife, Eleanor; a daughter, Melanie (Allan) Nelkin; a son, Matthew Butcher (Rebecca Posner); and grandchildren Erin and Eli Mazursky, Noah and Hannah Butcher, and Matthew and David Nelkin. He was preceded in death by his son Jordan Butcher.
Sign the online guestbook at www.edressler.com. A graveside service was held Thursday, May 18, at Arlington Memorial Park. Tributes may be made to the William Breman Jewish Home or American Jewish Committee. Arrangements by Dressler’s Jewish Funeral Care, 770-451-4999.
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