After a brief illness, James “Jay” Michael Butler passed on Sunday, November 10, 2024. Jay was born in Ashtabula, Ohio on May 13, 1946. He moved with his family to Palmdale, California when he was 6 years old. After graduating from high school, Jay enlisted in the Navy and served a tour in Vietnam before completing his service with three years in Japan.
After returning from his service in 1970, he used his electrician training to land a job with WGN Electronic Systems in Lancaster, California which was one of the first cable companies in the U.S., an exciting time when the industry was in its infancy. He began his career as a cable installer, was promoted to technician, and by 1973 he was named plant engineer.
In 1977, WGN acquired the cable system in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and Jay and his family made the move to New Mexico as Vice President and Systems Manager of Albuquerque Cable Television.
He later moved to Houston, Texas in 1979 and became Director of Operations of Gulf Coast Cable Television. During his time at Gulf Coast Cable, the company grew from 12 employees and 17 channels to 220 employees and 42 channels.
In 1984, Jay and his family moved to Kerrville, Texas where he took the role of General Manager of Dimension Cable before eventually moving to Texarkana, Texas in 1990 in the same capacity.
Nearly 15 years and three ownership and name changes later, he oversaw the move of the CableONE offices in Texarkana from Texas Blvd., downtown, to Baylor Street, behind the Oaklawn Post Office before retiring from the cable industry in July 2012.
Jay was always actively involved in the community. Among other community service activities, Jay was a 1995 Wilbur Award winner, former chairman of the Literacy Council of Bowie and Miller Counties, past president of the Arkansas Telecommunications Association, past president of Kiwanis Club of Texarkana, Arkansas, and past chairman for the Texarkana Chapter of the American Red Cross.
Jay is survived by his loving wife of 47 years, Deborah Kay Butler of Texarkana, Texas, and his three sons, Jeffrey Michael Butler and his wife Courtney of Houston, Texas, Aaron Charles Butler and his wife LouAnn of Dallas, Texas, and Steven Edward Butler and his wife Kristin of Fayetteville, Arkansas. He is also survived by his four loving grandchildren, Campbell and Crawford of Houston, Texas, and Eli and Briggs of Fayetteville, Arkansas. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the American Cancer Society.
