Eugene Butori

Eugene Butori

January 11, 1923 - October 18, 2022

Gene Butori was a remarkable man. Born in Butte, MT on January 11, 1923 to Leon Butori and Frances Grosso. He lived in Meaderville, the Italian section of Butte. His parents owned a renowned restaurant there called the ARO Cafe. He attended Carroll College in Helena, Montana and later, Gonzaga University in Spokane where he played basketball. He married the love of his life, Virginia Novak of Butte, Montana in April of 1945. He went to the University of Oregon Dental School in Portland Oregon where he graduated in February 1946.

He joined the Army during dental school to help pay for the cost of school and served his two year hitch in the Army Dental Corps in Japan from September 1946 until June 1948 when he was honorably discharged. Upon his discharge from the Army he went into General Dentistry practice in Portland. He practiced for a number of years and then went to the University of Washington in Seattle for specialty training in Orthodontics in 1953. He was the founder of the Portland Orthodontics Group. He retired from his Portland Orthodontics Practice in 1986. Gene was a long time member of Portland Golf Club, a violinist, a carpenter, an instrument rated pilot and a highly regarded Portland Orthodontist.

Gene passed away on October 18, 2022 after a brief illness. He was preceded in death by his parents, Leon and Frances (Grosso) Butori; sister, Leona (Dennis) Walsh and brother, Neil (Louise) Butori.

He is survived by his daughter, Lauren Davis; his son, Tom and grandchildren: Joe, Nick, Renee, Julian and Cirus; and great-grandchildren: Konsue, Tom and Portia; the Butori, Grosso, Walsh, and Collins relatives; his Priest friends: Reverends Freddy Ocun, Cornelius Ssekitto, Francis Njau, Richard Thompson and Martin King; his good friends and golf partners: Chuck Carl, Mick Onustock, Dick Lalli, Bob Coleman, Vlado Baricevic and Tom Cox (deceased).

He will be interred at Mt. Calvary Cemetery alongside his wife, Virginia (Novak) Butori who passed away in 2004.

His funeral Mass will be on November 7, 2022 at 11:00 a.m. at St. Thomas Moore Catholic Church.

Funeral arrangements are through Young's Funeral Home in Tigard, Oregon. (youngsfuneralhome.org).