Gail M. Butler
February 10, 1939 – April 9, 2026
Gail Elizabeth MacQuarrie Butler, age 87, passed away on April 9, 2026, surrounded by her loving family. Born in Boston, Massachusetts on February 10, 1939, Gail was the first of six children of Allan and Mary “Betty” Oliver MacQuarrie. The daughter of Scottish-Canadian immigrants, she entered the world during a time of lingering hardship from the Great Depression and WW2. Though her early years carried their share of difficulty for her family, she often recalled them with warmth, especially memories of a neighborhood baker who would let her help fill lemon jelly doughnuts at a young age; an early spark of her lifelong love of everything lemon.
Gail attended schools in Roslindale and Boston, Massachusetts, graduating from Boston Latin High School, and went on to the University of Massachusetts Amherst, where she graduated in 1961 with a nursing degree. She was part of the final five-year nursing program before the curriculum was reduced to four years the following year, completing a rigorous course of study alongside a dedicated class of eight other nurses.
Her mother-in-law, Rachel, first met her at Newton Presbyterian Church and immediately felt she would be the perfect match for her then-bachelor son, Robert. From that first introduction grew a bond that would shape a lifetime. She and Robert were married on August 21, 1965, at Popham Chapel, beginning a marriage that would span more than sixty years. Together, they raised four children while making homes in Wayland, MA, and Litchfield Park, AZ, and spending cherished summers at Popham Beach, ME, before eventually retiring there permanently. The love Gail and Robert built together only deepened over time, becoming a steady foundation for their family and a lasting testament to their devotion to one another. The loss of their son, Mark, in 2022 brought profound sorrow to them both, a grief she carried with quiet strength.
Gail devoted her life to the service of others. She first worked as a nurse and later trained as a paramedic, continuing her commitment to care in Phippsburg and Popham Beach, Maine. In a community distant from immediate emergency resources, she stepped forward willingly, driven by duty and compassion. She ultimately served as the Ambulance Chief for the Town of Phippsburg, a role she was extremely proud of. To those who knew her, she was a steady presence of care and strength. She enjoyed sailing, volunteering, baking her famous peanut butter cookies, lemon and banana breads for those she loved, traveling every winter to Hilton Head Island for some respite from Maine winters and spending time with family, especially her eight grandchildren. She will be deeply and forever missed by those who loved her.
She is lovingly remembered by her children, Mark (predeceased) (Lori), Karen; Susan (Arthur), and Stephen (Abigail); and his grandchildren, Joshua, Hannah (fiancé Devon), Grace, Andrew (fiancée Allie), Jacob (Sara), Zachary, Robert, and Brigid; and by her siblings, Donna MacQuarrie, Glen MacQuarrie (Donna Meredith), and Lanny MacQuarrie (Susan), as well as six nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by just 33 days, by her beloved husband, Robert. She was also predeceased by her siblings, Lynne MacQuarrie and Donald MacQuarrie and her son-in-law, Rick Madden.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation at MCSF.org. Mom deeply valued education and was immensely proud of Mark’s service as a Marine. This gift carries forward her love for family, her pride in service, and her belief in the power of education.
A joint Celebration of Life for Gail and Robert will be held at the Popham Chapel on June 6, 2026, at 1:00 p.m.