After a lengthy illness, Phyllis B. Smith Young Butcher Hurtado passed away July 11, 2012 in St. George, Utah. She was a part-time employee in Print and Copy Services from 1996 to 2004.
Her survivors include her husband, Arthur Hurtado, daughters, Deborah Young, manager, Copy Center, and Leslie Shaffer, and a son, Jan-Merlin Young, a member of the UCCS classes of 1992 and 1995.
Phyllis B. Smith Young Butcher Hurtado
December 21, 1938 – July 11, 2012
Phyllis was born in Washington D.C. to Edna M. Harrell and Andrew J. Smith. She was raised in Tooele, Utah by her paternal aunt and uncle, Mary K. and John Dawson.
Phyllis graduated from Tooele High School in 1957.
She married Merlin F. Young on December 28, 1957 in Elko, NV. They had three children: Leslie C. Shaffer (husband, Mike) of Salem, OR; Deborah L. Young (partner, Shelley Danielson) of Colorado Springs, CO; and son, Jan-Merlin Young (wife, Karen Christine) of Colorado Springs, CO. Phyllis and Leo had two grandsons, Brandon Shaffer and Tyler Shaffer of Salem, OR. , and one granddaughter, Lauren Wincott, Denver, CO.
Phyllis and Merlin divorced in 1971 and Phyllis married Leo F. Butcher, Sr. on April 28, 1972. Phyllis worked at Tooele Army Depot in Tooele from 1958 to 1972, at which time she and Leo left Tooele for Colorado Springs, CO.
There, Phyllis worked at the US Air Force Academy and Peterson Air Force Base. She retired from Peterson Air Force Base in 1984 as Deputy of the Base Contracting Office. Leo was a 1989 UCCS graduate. He died on February 22, 1995, and left behind three living children: Leo F. Butcher, Jr. (Brenda) of Gilbertsville, PA; Ray L. Butcher of Vancouver, WA; and Charles D Butcher of Colorado Springs, CO.
Phyllis and Leo opened a mountain man store, The Silver Buffalo Trading Post, in Black Forest, CO. They attended many Mountain Man Rendezvous in Colorado and surrounding states.
On October 4, 2004, Phyllis married Arthur J. Hurtado in Alexandria, W. VA., at the St. Louis Catholic Church. They moved to St. George in the same year where they devoted much of their time to volunteering at the St. George Catholic Church and Elks Lodge, as well as fishing and traveling.
Phyllis leaves behind three sisters: Jacque Frailey (Robert, deceased) of Salt Lake City; Andrea Suraci (Mike) of Bainbridge Island, WA; and Patty Reed (Ray) of Waldorf, MD. Phyllis also leaves behind Arthur’s children: Albert (Sharon) of Salt Lake City; Arthur Jr. (Cathy) of San Bernardino, CA; Anthony (Brenda) of Dallas, TX; Michael (DeAnn) of Dayton, OH; Marie of Seattle, WA; Betty Jo Berghammer (Rich) of Tacoma, WA; and Robert of Seattle, WA.
Funeral services with a recitation of the rosary and mass were held on Saturday, July 14, 2012 at the St. George Catholic Church, St. George, Utah.
Arthur and Phyllis would like to thank the Huntsman Cancer Foundation, the Dixie Regional Medical Center and Huntsman-Intermountain Cancer Care for their professional services and personal care in prolonging the quality and dignity of Phyllis’ life into her final days.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Huntsman Cancer Foundation.
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