More detail on this person: Philip 970-217-5625
was a friend of Jerry Butts and had great respect
for Jerry. Wants to get a helicopter to fly over
his funeral Saturday 21 July.
FORT COLLINS, CO - Dr. Jerry Lee Butts passed
away quickly on July 15th at his home in south Ft.
Collins. He was born April 8, 1944, as the first
of two children to Harold and Kathryn Butts in
Sault St. Marie, Michigan, but was raised
primarily in Bremen, Indiana. Jerry was an active
young man and a talented athlete at Lakeville High
School, class of 1962. He chose Purdue University
for college where he was a member of the Crew
team and the Alpha Gamma Rho Fraternity. He
went on to earn a Bachelor's degree in Forestry
Management in 1966. Following college, he was
selected for Officer School with the U.S. Marine
Corps where he earned his commission and
eventually his pilot wings. Jerry achieved the
rank of Captain and flew mostly helicopters,
including a tour in Vietnam. After his service, he
came west to see the mountains and work for the
State Forest Service. While in Colorado he met his
beautiful wife of 38 years, Margie Altergott of
Windsor, CO. Shortly after their marriage in 1972,
he decided to become a veterinarian and attended
Colorado State University, earning his doctorate
in 1980. He started a successful practice, Orchard
Animal Hospital, in north Loveland, and operated
it for 31 years until his death. Jerry and Margie
had three children together, Jason, Lindsey and
Kevin. He was a tireless family man, friend,
patriot, and an avid outdoorsman, passionate about
hunting, fishing, racing dirt bikes and shooting.
His role in the community as an "old-fashioned"
and caring veterinarian with a lovable sense of
humor will be missed enormously. He is survived by
his wife, Margie, and their three children;
mother, Kathryn Butts; his uncle, John Campbell
(Virginia); sister, Rhonda Laidig (Kurt); numerous
nieces and nephews; and five grandchildren, who
greatly enriched his later years. A celebration of
his life will be held at Timberline Church, 2908
S. Timberline Road in Ft. Collins, including
military honors, starting at 10:00 a.m. on
Saturday, July 21st, in the main auditorium. A
closed casket visitation will take place at the
church starting at 9:00 a.m. In lieu of flowers,
the family is requesting that donations be made to
The Wounded Warrior Project or to St. Jude
Children's Research Hospital, c/o Bohlender
Funeral Chapel, 121 W. Olive, Fort Collins, CO
80524. Friends may send condolences to the family
at bohlenderfuneralchapel.com. How lucky we are
to have had someone in our lives that makes saying
goodbye so hard.
Published in South Bend Tribune on July 19, 2012
This information was last updated 05/18/2016
Please send additions or corrections to: HQ@vhpa.org VHPA Headquarters
Return to the Helicopter Pilot DAT name list
Return to VHPA web site
Date posted on this site: 03/10/2024
Copyright © 1998 - 2024 Vietnam Helicopter Pilots Association