Kathleen M. Butts

Kathleen M. Butts, known affectionately as Kathy, was 71 when she died unexpectedly on March 10, 2026, at York Hospital in York, Maine. Born in Boston on September 26, 1954, to the late John and Joan (Donovan) Colburn, she was raised in Stoneham, Massachusetts. She lived for twenty years in Billerica before moving to Wells, Maine, in 2013, where she embraced the peaceful coastal life.

Kathy possessed a strong work ethic and a genuine ability to connect with others. She worked for many years as a Bakery Manager at Star Market, later owned and operated Bare Bottom Tanning Salon and Amani’s Hair and Tanning Exchange in Tewksbury, Massachusetts, and also held positions at Lake Manufacturing in Newburyport and the Cliff House in Maine.

She is survived by her husband, Alan J. Butts; her dog, Brandy; her children, Amani Sylvester and her husband Steve of Nashua, New Hampshire, Jassim Taher and his wife Sharon of Litchfield, New Hampshire, and Robert Butts and his partner Kristina of Tewksbury; her sisters, Patricia Fleuckiger and her husband Kenny of Needham, and Carol Ayala and her partner John Scanlon of Manchester, New Hampshire; and her five cherished granddaughters, Natalie, Naomi, Nadia, Mila, and Sofia, along with her first grandson, Brady, whom she was eagerly awaiting. She was predeceased by her two younger brothers, John and Paul Colburn.

Kathy found joy in life’s simple pleasures. She loved tending to her flowers and garden, watching hummingbirds, savoring scallops with a glass of wine, working on puzzles, and reading. The beach remained a special place for her, where she found peace sitting by the ocean and listening to the waves. She will be deeply missed and forever remembered with love by her family and all who knew her.