Ernie Butts, Longtime North Adams Sports Official, Dies at 79
Ernest M. "Ernie" Butts of Winchester died January 3, 2026, after an extended illness. A 79-year-old former Heekin Cam employee and a fixture in North Adams High School athletics as a scorekeeper and official, his passing affects families, athletes, and colleagues across Adams County.
Ernest M. "Ernie" Butts, 79, of Winchester passed away Saturday, January 3, 2026, at his home after an extended illness. Born near Unity on December 1, 1946, Butts was the eldest of seven children of Vernon "Bill" and Dorothy Jean (McKenzie) Butts.
Butts retired after a 30-year career at Heekin Cam (Ball Co.) in Newtown, where his work life intersected with Adams County's manufacturing and industrial community. He remained widely known in local athletics for keeping the scorebook for North Adams High School for more than two decades and for officiating high school baseball for 45 years and volleyball for 23 years. His long involvement in school sports made him a familiar presence at local gyms and ballfields and connected him across generations of student athletes, coaches, and families.
Butts was preceded in death by his parents, a sister, Lucille Robinson, a brother, Donald Butts, and a nephew. He is survived by his wife of 52 years, Camilla Kay (Semple) Butts, whom he married on February 16, 1973; three sisters, Helen Clark, Patti (Dale) Jarvis and Alta (Randy) Downs; one brother, Glenn Butts; brother-in-law Bob Clark; and four nieces and four nephews.
Family and friends may pay respects at a visitation scheduled from 5 to 7 p.m. on Wednesday, January 7, 2026, at the Thompson-Meeker Funeral Home, 216 W. Mulberry St., West Union. Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. on Thursday, January 8, at the funeral home, with Pastor Owen Applegate officiating. Burial will follow at the Cherry Fork Cemetery.
For community members wishing to mark Butts's life, the family suggests memorial contributions to Hospice of Hope or to a charity of the donor's choice in lieu of flowers. An online tribute wall is available at meekerfuneralhomes.com.
Butts's decades of service to school athletics and steady presence in local industry left a tangible imprint on Adams County civic life. His roles as scorekeeper and official helped sustain the county's high school sports programs, providing continuity and institutional knowledge that supported coaches, athletes, and volunteer organizers over many seasons.
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