BOSTON (WPRI) — A Massachusetts man owes his wife a big thank you.

John Butler, of West Roxbury, won $100,000 after his wife urged him to search their home for an old Mass Cash ticket after seeing a news story about an unclaimed prize 11 days away from expiration.

Butler bought the ticket last year and stuck it in a drawer to go on vacation, completely forgetting about it.

When his wife saw the news story she realized it was sold at the store Butler usually buys his tickets and the winning numbers looked like the ones he played every time.

The couple then began to sift through a bag of old tickets to double-check.

“The first thing I said to my wife Jean was ‘if we can’t find it we’re still together right?'” he recalled. “There it was. So, I went from goat to hero just like that.”

After taxes, the couple walked away with $71,000. They say they plan to spend it on a vacation and some home renovations.

“We are thrilled that Mr. Butler’s wife saw the Lottery announcement in the news about the unclaimed ticket! What a great reminder to keep your tickets in a safe place and always make sure to check them,” said State Treasurer Deborah Goldberg, Chair of the Massachusetts State Lottery Commission.

Although his wife reminded him to find the ticket, Butler credits his late dad for the win because he always told him to keep his tickets for a year, just in case.