Celebrant Pam Meily Vetter


	Celebrating Life Everyone Has A Story...

Edmond Arnold Butler was born in 1951, to Dorothy Chapman and Chet Butler. Eddie loved all of his siblings: Pat, Sue, and JoAnne. Loved dearly by his sisters, Eddie’s first word at the age of six months was his sister’s name: Sue. Eddie was a happy child who had an inborn inquisitive nature. He learned to ride a bicycle without training wheels and learned how to ski when he had a broken arm. Instead of simply jumping into the swimming pool, he climbed up on the roof, jumped off the roof, and into the pool. Everything was always done with an exclamation point in his life. Nothing stopped Eddie from learning something new or taking on a new adventure. Anything was possible.

When Eddie read an article in the newspaper about Rex Ellsworth looking for young men to train as jockeys, he saw his future. At the age of 17, he was quickly accepted into the program. He lived in the dormitory to learn to ride horses, working as a morning rider for the first year. He became an apprentice to ride horses and earned his jockey license at 18. In 1974, he went to Prescott, Arizona, where he won his very first race riding Mustard Mary across the finish line. He also won his second race riding Nevada Power. Eddie’s career took off. He and his friends traded a car for an old school bus and traveled around the country to race in Colorado, Louisiana, Florida, and California. He rode horses that no one else would ride and he found success on the racetrack

Eddie was also recognized in the Guiness Book of World Records when his horse had the best time in a race for distance, for the class of horse, and the longest long shot that paid $167 for a $2 bet.

Eddie was so proud to welcome his daughter, Kristen, into the world in 1996. He shared his love of animals with his daughter. He was thrilled to be a dad.

Eddie’s favorite hobbies were hunting and fishing with his second father, Michael. They enjoyed using a bow and arrow to hunt deer or they’d go to Big Bear Lake once a week to catch rainbow trout. He was competitive and always enjoyed catching the bigger fish. Eddie’s favorite music was of the 80’s by Willie Nelson, Hank Williams Jr., Steely Dan, Rod Stewart, and Eric Clapton. His favorite song was “Wanted Dead or Alive,” by Bon Jovi, because he truly was a cowboy in every sense, taking his final ride into the sunset.

Everyone he met loved Eddie. Family was everything to him as he always told his family, “I love you.” Everywhere his family looks now they see him atop a winning horse, riding his bicycle, driving his jeep with his bird, Rex, on his shoulder, or wearing his cowboy hat. Eddie Butler will be best remembered as a generous, fun-loving daredevil who wasn’t afraid of anything. He lived life to its fullest as he was at his happiest when he was active, adventurous, and doing something he loved. His advice to his family and friends would be to find something you love to do and do it well.

Eddie Butler is remembered every day by those he loved the most: His parents Dorothy and Michael; father Chet; daughter Kristen Marie and her mother Cyndy; sister Pat and her husband Nick; sister Sue and her husband Larry; sister JoAnne; nephews Keith, Michael, Jeffrey, Jason, and Craig; nieces Anjanette and Gina; step-sister Michelle and her husband George and their daughters Shannon and Kayley; step-brother Brian; and good friends Dan, Rudy, and Robert.

May Eddie Butler rest in peace.