Artist who created Precious Moments figurines depicting children with tears in their eyes dies at 85

CARTAGO, Missouri – Sam Butcher, the artist who created the Precious Moments figurines depicting angelic children with watery eyes, has died. He was 85 years old.

The company said in a Facebook post that he died Monday morning surrounded by family. He said his life mission was “to share the gift of God’s love with the world.” No details about his cause of death were provided.

Some of the Christian-themed figurines feature Bible verses or children praying. Fans have collections numbering in the hundreds, while critics deride them as kitsch.

Butcher’s childhood love of illustrating gained a wider audience when he began telling Bible stories on a children’s ministry television show while drawing. This experience led him to found a company in 1974 called Jonathan & David after biblical figures, according to his online obituary.

Early offerings included greeting cards. And within a few years these drawings were transformed into porcelain figurines.

Thousands of designs have been produced over the decades, and fans of his work gather every year at Precious Moments Inspiration Park and Precious Moments Chapel in Carthage, Missouri.

The cornerstone of the pastel-painted nondenominational oasis is the chapel, which Butcher was inspired to build on a 1983 trip to Rome’s Sistine Chapel. Includes 84 biblical murals covering more than 5,000 square feet.