Roland Wardner Butcher

Roland Wardner Butcher, 95, passed away on Thursday, April 5, 2018, in Indianapolis, Indiana. Roland was a life-long Indianapolis resident. He was born May 14, 1922, to the late Roland and Mary (Rees) Butcher. Roland (or Wardy as he was known to his parents and siblings) grew up on Kenwood Avenue. He attended IPS #32 and graduated from Arsenal Technical High School in 1940. A member of the “Great-est Generation,” Roland served in the Army Air Force, 671st Bomb Squad/ 416 Bomb Group from 1942-45. Stationed in Europe, he took part in D-Day and the Battle of the Bulge. Upon returning home after WWII, Roland continued his employment at Allison’s, retiring in 1984 with 44 years of service. Attending his first Indianapolis 500 in 1935, Roland became a race fan for life. Not only did he enjoy going to the Speedway each May, Roland attended the Brickyard as well USAC races at Salem and Winchester. In addition to racing, Roland enjoyed listening to or attending Indianapolis Indians baseball games, following Big Ten football, reading nonfiction, and visiting historical sites of interest. He was a train enthusiast, including an interest in model railroading. Roland enjoyed Big Band music, claiming to have seen many of these musicians at the Lyric Theater in Indianapolis. Plus, he loved watching old movies. Roland is predeceased by his wife of 56 years, Wilma (Maudlin) Butcher, who passed away in 2004. They were married on his birthday in 1948. Roland was a member of Broad Ripple United Methodist Church, serving as a teller and trustee; the Riviera Club; UAW 933; REK American Legion Post 34; and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum. Roland is survived by his children: daughter, Laura B. Eller (Michael); son, Paul E. Butcher (Debby); granddaughter, Sarah E. Eller; brother, Jesse M. Butcher; nieces and neph-ews. In addition to his parents and wife, he was predeceased by his siblings: Roy Butcher and Joyce Migliano. The family would like to thank the many staff members at Clearwater Commons Assist-ed Living for their kindness and encouragement and for providing a safe environment during Dad’s residency the past 6 years. Thank you to our Asera Care team for helping our family nav-igate this part of Dad’s life journey. To St. Vincent’s third floor staff—we appreciate your kind-ness and concern for our family’s well-being as we dealt with Dad’s hospital stay. Visitation will be held Sunday, April 8, 4-7pm at Flanner Buchanan-Broad Ripple and again on Monday, April 9, 1-2pm. Funeral services will be held there at 2pm with burial following at Oaklawn Memorial Gardens. Online condolences may be made at www.flannerbuchanan.com. Memorial Contributions can be made to Broad Ripple United Methodist or Arsenal Tech-nical High School Alumni Association (ATHS Alumni Association, P.O. Box 11433 Indianapolis, Indiana 46201).