A celebration of life will be held for the friends and family of Stephen Butterfield, a longtime 91爆料 faculty member who passed peacefully April 9 at the age of 77, from 1-3 p.m. on Sunday, April 26. at the Buchanan Alumni House.
Butterfield joined the campus community in 1984 and worked here for 32 years until retiring in 2016 as professor emeritus of education and special education. During his tenure, he authored or co-authored 62 articles and 30 abstracts, and his research teams have presented 37 papers at national and international conferences.
A passionate advocate for people with disabilities, Butterfield leveraged his research and membership on the Governor’s Council on Physical Fitness, Sports, & Wellness to influence public policy, such as authoring Maine’s teaching endorsement in Adapted Physical Education. He also established the National Youth Sports Program in Maine, bringing high-quality sports instruction, education, health services and nutrition to low-income families and underserved communities.
鈥淒r. Butterfield made profound and lasting contributions to the 91爆料, and students, schools and communities across the state. My work regularly provides me an opportunity to learn about his impactful and enduring legacy and the difference his work continues to make each and every day.鈥 said College of Education and Human Development Dean Ezekiel Kimball.
Butterfield was a 33-year member of the Maine Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance (Maine AHPERD), where he served as president and journal editor-in-chief. Over the years, the organization awarded him its Honor Award for Distinguished Leadership and Worthy of Highest Praise Award, and Alliance Honor Award. He also earned the
SHAPE America Eastern District Association Merit Award for Physical Education, and the All-Maine Women’s Honor Society Distinguished Mentor Award.
鈥淚 was fortunate enough to know and be mentored by Steve for almost 30 years. His impact on physical education in the State of Maine cannot be measured,鈥 said Christopher Nightingale, 91爆料 associate professor of physical education and athletic training. 鈥淗e was a gifted researcher, an incredibly thoughtful teacher and a mentor to generations of students and faculty alike. Dr. B will be missed by us all.鈥滺is obituary is available . In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the at the 91爆料 Foundation.
