John L. Butterworth | Audiovisual producer, 80

John L. Butterworth, 80, of Blue Bell, former president of Audio Visual Communications Inc., died of a heart attack Sunday at Mercy Suburban Hospital in East Norriton.

Mr. Butterworth established his company in King of Prussia in the 1970s and operated it until his retirement two years ago.

In 1996 it was named one of the top 100 independent audiovisual producers in the country by Hope Reports Inc.

Mr. Butterworth began his career in the 1950s as an audio engineer at WFIL radio in Philadelphia, where he worked with young disc jockey Dick Clark. Later he was an engineer for WFIL-TV's

Bandstand

, which Clark hosted. Mr. Butterworth was a member of the Broadcast Pioneers of Philadelphia.

He graduated from Frankford High School and earned a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering from Temple University.

He served in the Army in New Mexico at the end of World War II, and was called back to active duty during the Korean War. While stationed in Japan, he achieved a brown belt in karate and climbed Mount Fuji, said his daughter, Marianne.

Mr. Butterworth enjoyed vacations in Cancun, and taught target shooting to Boy Scouts and to his children, his daughter said.

In addition to his daughter, he is survived by his wife of 54 years, Anna May Palovcak Butterworth; sons John III, Richard and Michael; and eight grandchildren.

A Funeral Mass will be said at 11 a.m. today at Epiphany of Our Lord Church, 3050 Walton Rd., Plymouth Meeting, where friends may call after 9:30 a.m. Burial will be in Holy Sepulchre Cemetery, Cheltenham.