BERT BUTTERWORTH

Longtime La Conner resident Bert Butterworth died at age 92 on Wednesday, March 11, in Palm Springs, California.

Bert was born on December 31, 1922 in Seattle to Carol “Cal” E. and Marion Ellerbeck Butterworth. He attended Seattle public schools, John Hay Grade School and Queen Anne High School.

He joined the Washington National Guard in 1939 and was called to active duty on Sept. 16, 1940. He completed pilot training, on March 10, 1942 and was commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant in the U.S. Army Reserves. Further training was with Northwest Airlines in Canada and Alaska.

On active duty, Bert was sent to the Far East in June 1943 arriving in Karachi, India July 4, 1943. He flew cargo and troops over the high Himalayan Mountains, “The Hump” from the Assam Valley in northeast India to an air base in Kunming in southwest China, logging over 600 combat hours.

Bert returned to the states and was stationed at Palm Springs, California army airfield. He stayed active as a command pilot in the Air Force Reserves, retiring as a Major in 1963. Among his many awards and medals was the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Air Medal with Oak Leaf Clusters and the Battle Star of Burma and China.

He returned to Seattle in September 1945, attended the University of Washington and then the San Francisco College of Mortuary Science.

In 1947, he joined his father in the Butterworth & Sons family funeral business which had been established in 1883.

He was fond of fishing, bird hunting and loved boating almost as much as flying, owning several boats, the last being the “Windward,” which he had for 25 years. Bert flew planes until the age of 87.

He belonged to several fraternal, business and civic organizations, including Seattle Rotary, Shriners, Seattle Yacht Club, Washington Athletic Club, and was a UW Tyee member. Bert held season tickets to Husky football for over 50 years. For the last 14 years, Bert was a docent at the Palm Springs Air Museum.

Bert moved to Shelter Bay, La Conner in 1976. He was active in AA for over 34 years. He helped many people find sobriety. He took them by plane, boat and land to meetings.

He was preceded in death by his father, mother and beloved sister Carol. He is survived by his wife Bobbi, daughter and son-in law Colleen and Dan Kearin, his son Bert Butterworth, Jr .; son and daughter-in-law Bill and Sheri Feeney and daughter and son-in-law Jennifer and Mike Harlan. He also leaves six grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

A funeral mass will be held at Sacred Heart Church in La Conner at 11 a.m. on Friday, March 20.

Donations may be made to Shriners Children’s Hospital, Wounded Warriors or a charity of your choice.

Please share your thoughts of Bert and sign the online guest register at ww.hawthornefh.com.

Arrangements are under the care of Hawthorne Funeral Home in Mount Vernon.