December 20, 1937 – September 9, 2023
Donald Gene Butterfield, 85, of Aspen Glen, Colorado, passed away in the early hours of Saturday, September 9, 2023.
Don was born in Bloomfield, Iowa, on December 20, 1937. He was raised in Central City, Iowa, where he earned an Eagle Scout ranking in 1952. A gifted athlete, he played both baseball and basketball while scoring high academic marks, graduating as valedictorian of his high school class in 1956.
Don received a B.A. in Biology at Cornell College in Mt. Vernon, Iowa, in 1960, and graduated from the School of Medicine at the State University of Iowa three years later. Following his medical internship at Philadelphia General Hospital, he served as a Captain in the United States Air Force from 1964-1966 at Tinker Air Force Base in Oklahoma.
He entered private practice as a gastroenterologist in Denver after completing his residency at the University of Colorado Medical Center in 1970. Widely remembered as a reassuring and affable doctor, he maintained a high standard of care and trained hundreds of fellows. He was affiliated with Presbyterian/St. Luke’s Medical Center until his retirement in 1999, serving terms as Chief of Medicine (1977-79), Chief of Staff (1981-84), and President of the Consolidated Medical Board (1985), and was awarded an Honorary Doctorate by the University of Denver.
He was a founding member of the Colorado Trust, on which he served as Chairman from 1995-1997 with a fervent dedication to giving medical staff an active voice on the board.
Don was married to Beverly Bebe Butters of Central City, Iowa, on June 12, 1960. They had three children together: Bradley, Andrew, and Matthew. Bebe died of pancreatic cancer in 1974. In 1975, Don married Cynthia Strickland Manning, mother of Geoffrey and Meredith. Don and Cindy raised their five children together in Denver, where they lived until their retirement to Aspen Glen in 1999, enjoying every opportunity to ski and play golf together and with friends. Don and Cindy welcomed new additions to the family with ready warmth; their homes in Denver and Aspen Glen bustled with extended family and friends.
Don was preceded in death by his father James (d. 1980), his mother LaRue (d. 1988), and his brother Joe (d. 2022). He is survived by his younger brother Willard, his wife and his five children, and five grandchildren: Arden, Tait, Ryan, Phoebe, and Eva. He will be sorely missed as a loving husband, father, grandfather, mentor and friend to so many who had the privilege of knowing him.