Patrick Alexander Butler died just before his 78th birthday in Medford, Oregon. Son of Captain Peter F. Butler, Sr., and Dorothy Goff Butler. He was born in Seattle, Washington, and spent most of his youth on the family farm on Cooper Mountain in Hazeldale, Oregon. He graduated from Beaverton High School in 1962 and from the University of Oregon in 1966 with a B.A. in History. He enjoyed his fellowship with his fraternity brothers in Phi Kappa Psi in college and throughout his life.
Patrick joined the United States Army in 1967 and married Army Lieutenant Joan Marie Manning. They served together in Vietnam, where she pinned his Captain’s bars on his uniform after his promotion. He received two Bronze Star Medals for bravery, two Army Commendation Medals for meritorious service, the Combat Infantry Badge, and several other decorations and awards. He was a proud veteran, though he spoke rarely of the details of his service, and maintained friendships with his fellow Officer Candidate School class members, after leaving the Army in 1972.
Patrick and Joan had two children, Margaret E. Butler of Atlanta and Andrew F. Butler (Candy) of Eagle Point, Oregon. In 1976, Patrick earned a J.D. from Gonzaga University School of Law in Spokane, Washington, and practiced law in Portland for many years. Patrick was involved in the development and dedication of the Vietnam Veterans of Oregon Memorial in Portland, providing pro bono legal counsel and other assistance as the memorial grew from an idea to a reality.
Following his divorce from Joan, Patrick married Caroline Logan. They eventually moved to Glendale, Arizona. Patrick made new friends in Arizona, took loving care of his canine companions, and began making hand crafted walking sticks of found wood for family and friends. Patrick greatly enjoyed trips with his children, running with the bulls in Barcelona with his son and visiting pharaoh tombs in Egypt with his daughter. He also played and wrote music--he was rarely without his harmonica, carrying music with him all the time. After Caroline’s death, Patrick returned to Oregon in 2019 to be nearer to family. He was immensely proud of his children and grandchildren, and he delighted in building connections among them.
Ever optimistic and full of plans, Patrick will be remembered for his kindness and generosity, love of family, and prodigious humor; for his huge repertory of stories about his many travels and experiences; for his love of baseball and basketball, books, Grand Prix auto racing, Baroque music, and movies; for his sign-off of “Love and Arms Around You”; and for his general savoring of a good life well lived.
Patrick is survived by his two children and five grandchildren; his brother Peter F. Butler, Jr., of Lebanon, Oregon; sister Jocelyn A. (Jolly) Butler of Portland, Oregon; and sister-in-law Sheryl J. Butler, of Banks, Oregon; as well as two lively generations of nieces and nephews. A second brother, Martin R. Butler, predeceased him in 1997.
He will be interred at the Eagle Point National Cemetery on July 9, 2021; the service is by invitation only due to Covid-19 capacity restrictions. A celebration of life will happen at 4 PM that day at St. John Lutheran Church in Eagle Point, Oregon. If you would like to share memories of Patrick with his family, we encourage you to share your stories.
In honor of Patrick’s commitment to the Vietnam Veterans of Oregon Living Memorial, the family asks any donations in his memory be made to continue to support the Memorial at https://www.oregonvetsvietnammemorial.com/support.
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