Tuesday, September 17, 2024
Love to Aunt Patty and Wendy…
Walter Paul Muller was the third child of Alice and Paul Muller. I am the first born of his eldest brother Bob and wife Sylvia.
Uncle “Butchie” was my Godfather.
He became Butchie/ Butch to his family when he was a young boy. A buzz cut or “butch” haircut was popular when he was a kid and that was his summer cut.The trash collectors started calling him BUTCH. One day when his Mom was calling him home a neighbor woman asked her if she could summon him in some other way, as she had lost her only son Walter in the war and it was heartbreaking to hear his name called out. That was it… he was Butchie/ Butch to his family from then on.
When I was a kid we had Sunday dinner at his Mom’s home - usually pot roast. After dinner we would play stickball in the street. He was a good athlete and I was a tomboy. A match made in heaven.Late afternoons he and my Dad would race the cars down to the bakery for supper rolls and crumb cake. I always road with Uncle Butchie…and we always won! He was such a FUN uncle with a great smile, lots of energy, the coolest car and that laugh.
When he married Aunt Patty and before the girls were born… I would spend a week with them in the summer. Aunt Patty would make me veal cutlets and Uncle Butchie would take me to arcades, putt putt golf and to the driving range to hit “a bucket of balls”. A few years later he and my Dad took Keith and I to the World’s Fair. What a great day…even though they petrified us on the Ferris wheel!
We moved to Florida when I was twelve but we always kept in touch. Our folks would take us on car trips up to Staten Island when we were kids and continued in their retirement years to visit in Hawley. Aunt Patty sent birthday and Christmas cards my whole life. I’m 71 now.
Over the years there have been weddings, anniversaries, special celebrations and losses of loved ones. Uncle Butch has always showed up for us to share in the good and sad times… usually with his traveling companion Wendy at his side. As adults my brothers Keith and Scott and Uncle Butch and I spent a most perfect day at his beloved Woodloch golf course. What a glorious day and great foursome. We would talk on the phone, he would laugh and sound just like our Dad which was particularly comforting to our Mom after he passed. My sister Robin and I would call him when we were on long car trips and he would ask “what are yous girls up to now”?
Whenever I think of Uncle Butch I smile…and I will smile through the tears today as I am so very grateful that my folks chose him to be my Godfather. He took that word seriously and has been a most special man in my life. I love you Uncle Butch… I will think of you when I tee off…except for the slices.
On behalf of MY Muller family Bob, Sylvia,Jan, Keith, Robin, Scott (and all of our others)…thanks for the love…we will miss you.
