THROOP - There was an audit that had to be done and they would need her help.

At least that was the false pretense members of the Troop Fire Commissioners devised to have Kathy Butler, the group's retired secretary, attend a surprise award ceremony in her honor.

“She thinks she's helping us with the ‘audit,'” said Throop Fire Commissioner Randy Coleman with a grin.

“It's supposed to be an audit tonight, so I came armed,” added treasurer Ben Vitale who dropped a book the size of a concrete block on the table when he came in.

Then Butler arrived, happy to be there as usual. She sat down in the middle, next to her replacement, Barbara Coleman.

“We're going to start a little early tonight,” said chairman of the board Frank Morgenthaler. “Kathy's here to get us out of some binds as she's done for 25 years.”

He then stood and approached her with a mantle clock which was engraved with her name.

“Oh my gosh. Thank you,” she exclaimed. “You know what? Nobody gets anything past me - I don't know how you did it,” she added, close to tears. “Then you really don't need me?”

“After 25 years, we don't need you,” Vitale responded. “But we all would appreciate seeing you.”

Which, in a way, was an elixir to

any sadness. It went without saying that Butler was not the type to let a retirement allow friendships to slip away.

Two days later, she prepared for an annual party she throws to be sure to keep a closeness with those dear to her. She was expecting one third of Throop to attend.

“About 150 people - all community members. I like to do this once a year, because, you know, sometimes you get busy and you don't get a chance to see everybody,” she said.

“This is a very close knit community. I feel very fortunate to have spent most of my life here, over 30 years. I just pass out flyers. I supply the meat, and everybody brings a dish to pass.”

“She's just jolly almost 100 percent of the time,” said fire commissioner William O'Neil. “She loves her parties.”

O'Neil, who spearheaded the retirement surprise, remembered Kathy doing a lot of the legwork during the construction of the new firehouse in 1992. She handled the meetings they were conducting in one of the construction trailers, even laid out most of the interior design of the new facility.

“She picked out all the colors - we're all half color blind - and helped choose the carpeting,” O'Niel said.

And being the only female sitting at the table of all men board members was never a problem, Butler says. Well, almost.

“They absolutely respected me. When I had an opinion, I would speak up - and even though I wasn't a member of the board, they are public meetings - and they would listen to me. They were very respectful of what my opinions were.”

In fact, Butler was the first nonmember secretary the board ever had. She was pretty close to the previous secretary, her husband David.

David Butler was fire chief for many years, and a department member for more than 30.

“He was taking the minutes and said ‘I can't do this anymore.' To really concentrate on voting, keeping things organized, collecting bills, preparing a warrant for the treasurer ... it's better not to be a member of the board,” she said, noting that her replacement, and friend Coleman, is doing a great job.

Kathy has watched the fire department evolve over the years into an essential ambulance service, one that cares for five neighboring communities as well as Throop: “Our response time is three minutes.”

Gone now for her, are the days - and nights - of making coffee and helping the firefighters. But not from her memory.

“My husband passed away a couple of years ago. We were very active as a family. I was in the auxiliary, a group of women who would get up in the middle of the night and make coffee and help out the men. We would organize fundraisers for equipment, make cupcakes, help with the turkey raffle,” she said. “But life changes, and you move on in different directions.”

But not exclusively. Kathy has three children who reside in Throop, including Michael, who, like his father, is a firefighter. Within two miles of her, are seven grandchildren. “The loves of my life,” she said.

And no matter the mileage, she makes time for her friends. Butler has been to Florida four times in the past year visiting friends that had moved away. She even intends to make another journey to Florida, during which she'll visit a doctor she worked for for 18 years. Still, it is different not seeing them on a regular basis.

“I already miss them terribly. When you get in a group of very giving, dedicated individuals, you become a family,” she said. “I'm very sentimental. I have a special antique table with special photos on it in my living room. That's where the clock will be.”