Joseph Harold Butler

Joseph Harold Butler was born to William H Butler and Mari Eagan Austin, June 18, 1931 in Fort Collins, Colorado. Joe was the oldest of two children, younger brother Patrick joined the family on March 5, 1933. The family lived in Stout, a small-town west of Fort Collins. Both boys attended school in a one room schoolhouse. The town of Stout was mostly swallowed up when Horsetooth Reservoir was built and the valley was flooded. Once the local school was gone, they attended St. Joseph Catholic School and graduated from Fort Collins High School. Joe played basketball for FCHS earning a varsity letter. After high school Joe worked a year or two in Walden, bucking hay and transporting it to Denver. He then joined the service, Marines. He was a drill sergeant in Korea, receiving multiple awards. During his time in the service he met Martha Davis. They married and welcomed three daughters into their family-Sherri November 3, 1954, Nell December 19, 1955, and Charmen February 5, 1957. The young family settled in Fort Collins. Unfortunately, a few years later, the marriage dissolved. In 1960 Joe met Helen Barnes, they welcomed two daughters into their family-Julie October 25, 1961 and Loretta October 10, 1962. Also living in Fort Collins, Lakewood Street, until this marriage dissolved as well. In later years, Joe married Delores Crumpacker. In 1962, after the service, Joe went to work for Mountain Bell/AT&T. He worked for the phone company for 32 years, retiring in 1994. Working as an installer, residential and commercial. This included wiring and troubleshooting the large computer lab of the USDA. Joe couldn't remain idle for long and joined Hobby Town as a part time employee in 1994 and remained until he moved in 2005. He was the model train and RC airplane guru. Hobbies, there were a few throughout the years. He would practice and compete until he was a top contender, and then leave that hobby behind and pursue another. Joe and brother Pat raced cars-the Butler Bros Ranch racing team-in the 50's and 60's. Leaving car racing behind, he became an avid bowler. Reaching semi-pro level, he and his team mates traveled around the country competing in national championships. By the time the 60's were coming to an end, boat racing became his passion and continued for more than a decade. Starting out in Regatta racing and advancing to speedboat racing, driving a pickle fork boat. In his later years, he took up model trains, RC airplanes and fishing. He continued to fish for as long as he could. Joe was also a musician, he had a band "Joe Butler and the Country Rhythm Boys". They played in Northern Colorado for many, many years. You could find him and the boys every Saturday night entertaining the masses. Joe returned to the family homestead at Horsetooth around 1971. Living there until April 2005, when he sold the ranch to Larimer County and moved to Mountain Home Arkansas. Mountain Home offered miles and miles of lakes and rivers, a fisherman's paradise. Unfortunately, all good things come to an end. Health became the main issue and not being able to live on his own, he moved to Bakersfield to live with daughter Loretta and her family-April 2016. Joe loved the mountains and lived near them for as long as he was able. He loved his family and doted on his grandchildren. He was a competitive man and excelled to be the best. He will be missed by us all. Joe passed peacefully on February 9, 2018. He is preceded in death by daughter Nell, his parents, and his brother. He is survived by daughter Sherri Hahn, granddaughter Nikki Hahn; Rhonda Bickel (Gary), grandson Casey Bickel (Liz), great-grandsons Liam and Collin, grandson Ryan Bickel: daughter Charmen Butler; daughter Julie Rangle (Lawrence), grandson Landon; daughter Loretta Hayes (Ron), granddaughter Morgan Marsh (Jeff), great-granddaughter Riley, grandson Sinjin, grandson Ricky; Delores Butler, step-daughter Chris.