Ed Butterfield - Rest in Peace

Edgar D. "Ed" Butterfield

September 13, 1941 - November 24, 2013

Rock Island, Illinois

Visitation: 2:00 to 6:00 p.m. Sunday December 01, 2013 at Wheelan-Pressly Funeral Home, Rock Island, Ill.

Funeral Service: 10:30 a.m. Monday December 02, 2013 at Bethany Baptist Church, 700 35th Ave. Place, Moline, Ill.

Interment: 3:00 p.m. Monday December 02, 2013 at Henderson Grove Cemetery, Henderson Grove, Ill.

Edgar D. "Ed" Butterfield, 72, of Rock Island, died Sunday, Nov. 24, 2013 at the Good Samaritan Center, Davenport. Funeral services are 10:30 a.m. on Monday at Bethany Baptist Church, Moline. Visitation is 2 to 6 p.m. Sunday at the Wheelan-Pressly Funeral Home, Rock Island. Burial will be 3:00 p.m. Monday at Henderson Grove Cemetery, Henderson Grove, Ill. Memorials may be made to the Rock Island Music Association, or to Bethany Baptist Church, Moline. Edgar Dayton Butterfield was born Sept. 13, 1941 in Macomb, Ill., a son of Carrol and Wilma Royer Butterfield of Abingdon. Ed graduated from Abingdon High School in 1959. He earned his Bachelor's and Master of Education Degrees from Western Illinois University, Macomb. He went on to work on his doctorate at the University of Iowa. Ed married Sharon Louise Rissing at the First Lutheran Church, Galesburg on Dec. 22, 1963. Ed was a beloved music instructor for 43 years. He started his teaching career at the Northwest Unit District (Blandinsville, Good Hope, Sciota) and taught there for three years. He started teaching in the Rock Island School District in 1966. He was the band director at Edison Junior High for 14 years and also taught in various grade schools in Rock Island and assisted with the Rock Island High School Band. In 1980 he became the Rock Island High School Director of Bands and taught there until retirement in 1994. Ed was an adjunct music professor at Black Hawk College for 12 years. He founded the Black Hawk College Community Band and taught Music Theory and Music Appreciation. Ed retired from BHC in 2006. He was involved in many community activities, including having his band march in the Rock Island Labor Day Parade, the Rock Island Arsenal Memorial Day activities, Milan Indian Summer Festival, Morrison Pumpkin Days, Monmouth Prime Beef Festival, and WIU Marching Band Competition. His pep band was selected four times by blind tape audition to play at the Illinois State High School Basketball Tournament (men & women’s). Mr. Butterfield directed the orchestra for several musicals in his 43 years of teaching. He played in the Augustana Orchestra, Augie Wind Ensemble, and the Maple City Summer Band. He is the co-founder (with Jerry Miller) of the Big River Brass Band. Many of his students went to All-State, Augie Honor Bands, and went on to play in college bands and orchestras, community bands, and many became music educators, and professional musicians. He was a charter member of Phi Mu Alpha, WIU chapter, an honorary music fraternity, a member of Music Educators National Convention, and Illinois Music Educators Association. Ed was loved and respected by peers, students, friends and family and instilled a love of music in his students. His teaching philosophy, which he shared many times and demonstrated to students, was to teach students or anyone under his direction “to learn to love music and to have fun!” Ed was very involved in his church, Bethany Baptist of Moline. He sang in the choir, in men’s quartets, One Accord, and directed the choir over 25 years. Ed taught Sunday school over 25 years, was the Chair of the church, a deacon, worked with VBS, served at church champ and volunteered at Camp Summit. Ed loved and served His Lord his whole life. “Mr. B” as he was referred to was the recipient of various awards, including the Mel McKay Outstanding Teacher award from the Rock Island-Milan School District, the Western Illinois Master Teacher Award from the Argus/Dispatch/Leader newspapers, was included in Who’s Who in America, was inducted into the Rock Island High School Hall of Fame as a Distinguished Faculty Member and received numerous community awards. Mr. Butterfield was also a well-known adjudicator, clinician, and guest conductor in the Illinois/Iowa Community. He was a devoted and beloved husband, father, grandfather, brother, father-in-law, uncle, friend, and teacher/educator to thousands and was held in great esteem by the community. He is survived by his wife of almost 50 years, Sharon Rissing Butterfield; daughter and son-in-law, Krista & Kermit “Tom” Stevenson, and their, daughter Violet, 10, of Moline; daughter-in-law, Sarah Mason Butterfield, and daughter, Clara, 4, Coal Valley; his special “other” daughter, Kristine (Tony) Carlson Steckler and children, Michael and Katherine, Tucson, Ariz.; his brothers, Mel (Brenda) Butterfield, Williamsville, Ill., Bill (Zennie) Butterfield, Salt Lake City, Utah, Cliff Butterfield, Aniwa, Wis., and Chuck (Janice) Butterfield, Colchester, Ill.; a step-sister, Pat Snover, of Michigan, his beloved “sister” Pat (Sharon’s sister), Florida; and many beloved nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents; and his son, Curtis Butterfield. Online condolences may be left at wheelanpressly.com.