STEPHEN ALAN BUTTERFIELD

BANGOR, Maine — Dr. Stephen Alan Butterfield, 77, affectionately known as “Dr. B,” passed peacefully April 9, 2026, surrounded by his loving family. He was born Sept. 10, 1948, in Middlebury, Vt., the son of Stewart E. and Mary E. (Coursey) Butterfield.

Stephen grew up in Middlebury with his parents, Stewart and Mary, and his sister, Nancy. He attended Middlebury Union High School and excelled as a student-athlete, leading the varsity baseball and football teams. He was later inducted into the MUHS Hall of Fame.

Stephen received a B.S. from Springfield College in Massachusetts, where he met the love of his life, Jeanne. His athletic success continued at Springfield as a member of the football team and captain of the lacrosse team. He attained his M.Ed. from Keene State and Ph.D. from Ohio State University.

Professor Emeritus of Education and Special Education, Stephen was chair of the Department of Exercise, Sports Science and STEM Education at the University of Maine College of Education and Human Development. An active researcher, Stephen authored or co-authored 62 articles and 30 abstracts, and his research teams have presented 37 papers at national and international conferences. He was invited to present two keynote lectures at the International Conference of Enhancement of Motor Skills and Physical Activity in Jyväskylä, Finland, and was invited by Beijing Sport University to participate in a national study related to motor proficiency of Chinese children with intellectual disabilities. He was a 33-year member of the Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (Maine AHPERD), where he served as president and journal editor-in-chief. Stephen received many awards, including the Maine AHPERD Honor Award for Distinguished Leadership, Maine AHPERD’s Worthy of Highest Praise Award, and a SHAPE American Eastern District Association Merit Award for Physical Education. He was elected a SHAPE America research fellow and a fellow of the North American Society of HPERSD Professionals. His research team received the John Nash Award for Best Multidisciplinary Abstract at the American Chiropractic Board of Sports Physicians Symposium. At the 2012 AHPERD national convention in Boston, Stephen received the prestigious Alliance Honor Award. Closer to home, he received the All-Maine Women’s Honor Society Distinguished Mentor Award.

Stephen was a passionate advocate for people with disabilities. He leveraged his research and membership on the Governor’s Council of Physical Fitness, Sports & Wellness to influence public policy and authored Maine’s teaching endorsement in Adapted Physical Education. Additionally, Stephen 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.

Stephen was quietly most proud of his teaching tenure in his early career at the Vermont State School for the Deaf. There, he assumed the head basketball coaching role and was advised by the headmaster that “a winning program didn’t much matter here.” Being of a different mindset and fluent in American Sign Language, he coached the team to a school-record-breaking 14-6 season against mainstream Vermont high schools and took the team all the way to the state quarterfinals.

Stephen taught at the University of Main for 32 years. A Black Bear through and through, he considered his colleagues his extended family and was grateful to teach among such esteemed faculty. He adored his students, who often returned to campus to share their professional journeys and new family lives. A special thank you to Diane Legrande for her years of support, friendly banter and ensuring the department ran smoothly.

A baseball junkie and lifelong New York Yankees fan, Stephen spent countless spring breaks in Tampa with his cousin, Micky, to take in the sun and watch Yankees Spring Training. Anyone wearing a Yankees cap was his invitation to chat about the players, the season, and the franchise’s history. Stephen was perhaps even more fanatical about Ohio State football, passionately watching every game and even tracking the top high school prospects with his son Jason to make sure the “pipeline remained solid.”

Stephen served in the Army National Guard as a tank operator and military historian.

He loved life’s simple pleasures, like country drives, neighborhood walks, 1970s television reruns, 1950s doo-wop and college football.

Stephen loved his family greatly. He is survived by his wife, Jeanne; his daughter, Sarah Butterfield Clapp of Hamilton, Mass.; sons, Jason Butterfield and his wife, Brandi, of Brewer, Maine, and Scott Butterfield and his wife, Marie, of Southborough, Mass.; and his cherished grandchildren, Charlie, Emma, Benjamin, Madeline and Juliet, who will miss their “Bub.” In addition to his parents, Stephen was predeceased by his son-in-law, Charles Richard Clapp II.

The family extends its deepest gratitude to the medical staff at St. Joseph Hospital for their exceptional care, kindness and compassion. We are forever grateful.

Relative and friends were invited to a celebration of life held on Sunday, April 26, from 1-3 p.m., at the University of Maine’s Buchanan Alumni House, 160 College Ave., Orono. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Dr. Stephen A, and Jeanne A. Butterfield Scholarship Fund, University of Maine Foundation, 2 Alumni Place, Orono, ME 04469-5792. Graveside services will be private. Condolences to the family may be expressed at BrookingsSmith.com. ◊