Death of former Goole Times editor

Published on 17th May 2007 in News

Editor of the Goole Times for more than 20 years, Mr Ernest Butler, of Ruswarp Bank, Whitby, has died at the age of 94.

Mr Butler joined the editorial staff of the newspaper as an indentured reporter in 1928 on leaving Goole Grammar School, serving under three editors - J.R. Lloyd Hughes, Steven Austin Smith, and Stuart Gunnill. He was called up into the army a few months after the war broke out in 1939, and after two years as an instructor in the Royal Corps of Signals he was posted from Northern Ireland to North Africa with 10th Air Formation Signals as a section sergeant.

At the end of the North African campaign he was for some months his unit's interpreter in Algiers with the French civilian authorities, before taking his section into Italy, where he served until the end of the war in Europe.

On demobilisation at the end of 1945 Mr Butler returned to the Goole Times as chief reporter, and was later appointed Editor. When the paper became part of the Yorkshire Post weekly series in 1969 he was appointed Managing Editor, and became a director. It was during these years that he recruited a staff of graduate trainee reporters, many of whom later became distinguished in their fields of journalism, broadcasting and television.

He retired in 1977, and throughout his years of retirement many of his former staff kept in touch and recalled with grateful affection the way in which he had trained them.

Mr Butler was for 21 years a member of the Rotary Club of Goole; and at the time of his retirement he was president-elect of the then Goole Chamber of Commerce and Shipping. For many years he was secretary of Goole Grammar School's Parent-Teacher Association. He was also chairman for many years of Goole branch of the Historical Association.

During his years of retirement Mr Butler was identified with many Whitby societies and organisations - the Literary and Philosphical Society; the Naturalists' Club, where he was secretary and later vice-chairman; Whitby Probus Club; and Whitby group of the University of the Third Age.

For a number of years he contributed to the Yorkshire Post 'Country and Coast' natures notes; he edited his local parish magazine; he wrote the history of several local villages; and was in demand throughout his years of retirement as a speaker and lecturer to local organisations, particularly on military history, which was his favourite leisure interest, and on local history. He reviewed books for local newspapers, and edited the text of several books written by local authors.

He was twice married. His first wife, Doris, died shortly after they moved to Sleights, near Whitby, to begin their retirement. She will be remembered for her voluntary work in Goole as WRVS centre organiser, as an Independent town councillor, and as vice-chairman of the then Goole hospitals management committee. She graduated from the Open University with a Bachelor of Arts degree at the age of 60.

Mr Butler later married Janet Park, of Ruswarp, who was the retired deputy head of Loughborough College School and an honours graduate in English from King's College, London University. She died in April, 1977.

Mr Butler leaves three sons - Philip, of Gorsgoch in Wales; Paul, of Henley-on-Thames; and Peter, who is the present Editor of the Goole Times.

Cremation is to take place at Scarborough next Tuesday.