William (Bill) Stone Butner

Published 1:49 pm Wednesday, March 16, 2022

July 15, 1943 – January 20, 2022

Bill was born July 15, 1943 in Enterprise, to Glenn and Vera Butner. Bill is preceded in death by his parents and siblings Ray and Jay and survived by Jim, John and Marie. Dr. Sharff delivered Bill and in 1961, became his father-in-law when Bill married Elaine Sharff. Bill and Elaine raised three sons, Steve, Tim and Tom and found great joy in their grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Bill grew up on the Butner family farm in Wallowa County where he gained a strong work ethic, which served him well during his 37 year career with Pacific Power and Light, most of which was in Bend. In 2000, while living in Pendleton, Bill retired and he and Elaine moved back to Bend. He realized that he wasn’t ready for retirement so he contracted with other utility companies for another 12 years.

As a youth, Bill developed a love of horses and was trained by Tom Dorrance who gave him a solid foundation in horsemanship. In retirement, Bill renewed his bond with horses through his volunteer commitment with Healing Reins Therapeutic Riding Center in Bend. On a cold January night in 2013, after taking his horse to the paddock for the night Bill suffered heart failure, but because a nurse, a CPR instructor and another person certified in CPR were attending a training for new volunteers that night, and an AED (HEARTSTART DEFIBRILLATOR) was at the scene, Bill was brought back to life and enjoyed living life to its fullest for an additional nine years. Bill was at the right place at the right time.

A celebration of Bill’s life will be held in Wallowa County at a later date.

Donations can be made to Healing Reins in honor of Bill.

Healing Reins Therapeutic Riding Center

PO Box 5593

Bend, Oregon, 97708