Oliver L. "Butch" Marianetti, DMD

Butch Marianetti, age 75, passed away on Wednesday, April 8, 2020 in Albuquerque. He was preceded in death by his parents, Oliver and Dorothy Marianetti. He is survived by many friends and relatives, including his son, Christopher; daughter-in-law, Luisa; granddaughter, Valentina; daughter, Diana; son-in-law, Dieter; brand-new grandson, Max; brother, David; and longtime companion, Corlett.



Butch had many passions in his life; three major ones were his children, dentistry, and the military (although good food and fast sports cars would also be on the list). He graduated from St. Mary’s High School, UNM and Tufts School of Dental Medicine. He owned and operated his own dental practice in Albuquerque from 1983 through 2010. Because he felt strongly that people should have access to dental care 24/7, he organized and participated in an emergency dental service for most of his dental career. He finally retired from dentistry in 2016 but missed it every day.



He was proud of his military service, which began with the Civil Air Patrol during high school. He joined the Army Reserves in the late ’60s and shortly thereafter attended Officer Candidate School and was commissioned as an officer. He left the reserves briefly during dental school and rejoined in 1982. He commanded his reserve dental unit in public service missions across the world: Panama, North Pacific, and all over the USA, including Alaska. He attended and was an honor graduate of the Army Command General Staff College. In 1999, he transferred to the NM Army National Guard and served as state dental officer. He was appointed commander of the NM Medical Detachment and served as the NM National Guard State Surgeon. In 2004, he volunteered and served as a dental officer in Balad, Iraq. He retired in 2012 as the senior colonel in New Mexico and was given the highest honor: The Legion of Merit.



Butch returned from Iraq in 2004 with health problems, but seldom let anything curb his enthusiasm for travel. Over the years, he and assorted friends traveled to many places across the globe (including Italy – anyone who knew Butch knew how proud he was of his Italian heritage). His last overseas trip included exploring the beaches of Normandy, a great experience for such a military history buff.



Butch maintained many long-term friendships with his military buddies, his patients, and the SMHS class of ‘62. You could frequently find friends gathering on Fridays for a beverage at Billy’s Long Bar. He always had stories to tell, and some of them were even true. Butch will be so very missed.



A Memorial gathering will be scheduled at some time in the future. In lieu of flowers, the family encourages people to make donations to the organizations of their choice to help others in this time of need.