Memorial to be held for Carson native

Fran McGinnis fondly recalls growing up with her brother, Andy Butti, in Carson City.

"We've been here for a long time," she said of her family. "We grew up in the family home" built by their father, Mose Butti, at Robinson and Walsh streets.

"Andy was a great brother and we had a very close relationship, as the whole family did."

A memorial reception will be held today for longtime Carson City businessman Andrew "Andy" Butti, who died Jan. 6 at Carson Tahoe Regional Medical Center at age 88. The reception is at 3 p.m. at B'Sghetti's Restaurant, 318 N. Carson St.

Butti was born March 16, 1920 in Carson City and made his mark as the owner of the Oldsmobile dealership.

"They had some commercials on TV that ran all the time in the '70s," McGinnis said. "They were famous for that."

A 1937 graduate of Carson High School, Butti donated $500,000 to Western Nevada Community College, which honored him with the Andy Butti Welding Technology Center. He gave numerous $500 scholarships annually, specifically for those in applied technology programs. He also donated to the Donald W. Reynolds Foundation.

"Andy Butti made the pledge of $500,000 in 2000," said Anne Hansen, spokeswoman for WNC. "The money goes toward welding, scholarships, the observatory " his donation made a huge impact to benefit the students of Western Nevada College. He was a great friend of the college."

Andy Butti never married. He devoted his time to his business and his family. He was also a volunteer fireman with Warren Engine Company No. 1 and a life member of Nevada State Fireman's Association, an active member of the Fraternal Order of Eagles, the American Legion and Lions Club International.

He was preceded in death by his brother, Jack, and sister, Gwen Butti Mackay.

Butti was drafted into the Army in 1941.

"He was at Camp Roberts (San Miguel, Calif.) when he was sent to North Africa and France," McGinnis, 80, said. "He was about to go to the front lines when V-Day was declared."

"The neat thing is we had a mini family reunion last summer," McGinnis said. "He wasn't so sure about all those people coming here, but he had a wonderful time and had wonderful friends, too. If he needed someone they were there for him.

"He's going to be missed. I haven't had time to sit and think about it. We were so close."

Butti's niece, Kathy Butti of Reno, said she most remembers his sense of humor and that he was an easy-going, nice guy.

"He was friends with everybody," she said. "He was in business forever and grew up in Carson City. He was a man's man. (He) never married and no children, but a big part of his life were his friends, and he dated the same woman for more than 30 years, Bebe Johnson. She was his bookkeeper at the business."

Butti said her uncle had a group of friends he had coffee with, a group he went to lunch with on Fridays, and his group of friends he had beer with at the Old Globe Saloon.

"He was basically a fixture there," she said. "That was part of his social routine."

Memorials may be made to the Lions Club International Foundation, the Nevada State Firefighters Association's Benevolence Fund or charity of your choice.

- Contact Rhonda Costa at rcosta@nevadaappeal.com or 881-1223.