Ellsworth Damon Butler, 16 Sept 1922 - 28 Aug 2015

BUTLER, CARMICHAEL, POWELL, BROWER, JUNGJOHAN

Posted By: Sandy Ficken (email)
Date: 2/22/2016 at 15:44:47

Ellsworth Damon “Al” Butler, Highlands Ranch, Colorado, died Aug. 28, 2015

A memorial service for his passing was held at 11 a.m. on Thursday, Sept. 3 at the Olinger Chapel Hill Mortuary, 6601 South Colorado Boulevard, Centennial, CO, followed by a reception at the facility. He was buried with full military honors at the Fort Logan National Cemetery at 2:15 p.m.the same day.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to: Help Hospitalized Veterans, 36585 Penfield Lane, Winchester, CA 92596; website: https://www.hhv.org/

Ellsworth Damon "Al" Butler was born in North English, Iowa, on September 16, 1922, to parents Effa Mae (Carmichael) Butler and Benjamin Hugh Butler. He had four brothers, Isaiah, Ardeth, Dean, and Kenneth, and two sisters, Ruby and Evelyn; all of whom have preceded him in death.

He grew up in the North English community and graduated from high school there. Shortly thereafter he volunteered for military service, and he was inducted into the 34th Infantry Division of the U.S. Army.

He was trained as a combat medic, and he served his country in this capacity for 4 ½ years during the World War II campaigns in North Africa, Sicily, and Italy. He was a survivor of the terrible carnage suffered by the Allied troops during the four months they were trapped on Anzio Beach on the western coast of Italy. He served with distinction throughout the war and was awarded three Bronze Stars. He was discharged from the Army in 1945 and returned to his home in Iowa.

Al enrolled at the University of Iowa under the GI Bill and completed his undergraduate studies there. He next entered the College of Dentistry at the University of Iowa, and he graduated from there with a D.D.S. degree in 1952.

While at the University of Iowa, he met a Canadian nurse, Ruth Pauline Powell. Ruth and Al fell in love and were married. They had three children - Judy, Mark, and Chance. Judy preceded Al in death in 1984.

Al joined the Dental Service of the Veterans Administration in 1952, and he completed his residency training in Oral Surgery at the V.A. Hospital in Buffalo, New York in 1958.

He subsequently served for 25 years in V.A. Hospitals, in: Chicago, IL; Augusta, GA; Poplar Bluff, MO; and Denver, CO. He retired as Chief of the Dental Service at the Denver V.A. Hospital in 1977.

During the years he worked at the Denver V.A. Hospital, he was one of the co-founders of the School of Dentistry at the University of Colorado. He served as Professor of Oral Surgery and Assistant Dean of Dental Research at the School of Dentistry until his retirement.

In retirement, Ruth and Al moved from their home in Denver to Castle Rock, CO, in 1989. They enjoyed life in Castle Rock for almost 20 years before they moved into the WindCrest Retirement Community in Highlands Ranch, CO, in 2008. They were still living at WindCrest at the time of his passing.

He was a member of the First Baptist Church of Castle Rock and a member of Castle Pines Community Church. He was a Life Member of: the University of Iowa Alumni Association, the American Dental Association, the 34th Infantry Division Association, the American Legion, the Veterans of Foreign Wars, and the Disabled American Veterans.

English Valleys Star, 16 Jan 2015, pg 4
per their obituaries: sisters married names
Ruby Jungjohan, Evelyn Brower