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- The Salt Lake Tribune
November 20, 2002
KAYSVILLE - Ralph Richard Butler, 73, died peacefully at home after a brief illness, November 18, 2002.
Born on June 16, 1929 in Fairview, OK, to William Ralph Butler and Avis Letitia Byfield, Dick was the eldest of four children and grew up in Oklahoma and Kansas.
He graduated from high school in Coyville, KS. In 1946.
Dick enlisted in the US Army and served his country from 1946 to 1948. He was stationed in Fort Bragg, SC. Where he earned the rank of Staff Sergeant and was a stenographer in the judge advocate's court.
His interest in education took him to the Southern Idaho College of Education in Albion, ID. where he met his sweetheart, Donna Marie Wight. They were married on August 9, 1950 in Malta, ID. And were sealed in the Logan Temple in 1951. They soon moved to Provo to attend BYU, where Dick received his BS in 1953 in both Physical Education and Mathematics. Six years later he earned his MS degree from the University of Utah in Science Education, and in 1976 he was awarded an EdD in Secondary Education from BYU.
Dick had a passion for teaching and throughout his career he taught and coached thousands of high school students at Monticello High School (UT), Malad High School (ID), Davis High School, Layton High School and Grace High School (ID). From 1978 - 88 he was the Director of Pupil Transportation for the Davis School District.
Dick's baptism in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 1950 began a lifetime of service in the church. His numerous callings included stake young men president, high council and bishop's counselor. Dick and Donna served two full-time missions for the church: one to Irbid, Jordan and one to Vientiane, Laos. They were serving as temple workers at the Bountiful temple until his death.
Involvement in community service included two terms on the Kaysville City Council in the 1960s, many years of coaching little league baseball, football and soccer, and volunteering as a merit badge counselor for the Boy Scouts of America.
He will be missed very much by his family. Survivors include his loving wife, Donna Wight Butler; mother, Avis Letitia Baker of Wheeler, OR; sister, Juana Del Handy of Wheeler, OR; brothers, Dennis Lee Butler of Media, PA and James Byfield Butler (Belle), of Reseda, CA; children, Anita Marie Wheeler (Steven) of Rabat, Morocco, Diane Kay Christensen (Merrill) of Provo, UT; Steven Lee Butler of Kaysville; David Martin Butler of Farmington, UT; Kathryn Ann Evans (Troy) of Layton and Bryan Jay Butler (Jodi) of Albuquerque, NM; and 19 grandchildren.
Preceded in death by his father, William Ralph Butler, and his son, Ralph Harvey Butler.
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1929 - 2002 (73 years)
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