David A. Butzer

David A. Butzer, of Shakopee, Minnesota, passed away on Saturday, November 22, 2025. He was 86 years old.
We are honoring David with a gathering of family and friends from 11:30 AM until 1:00 PM on Thursday, December 4, 2025, hosted at McNearney-Schmidt Funeral and Cremation, 1220 3rd Avenue East, Shakopee, MN. A casual luncheon will be provided.
David was born in Morton, Minnesota, on May 5, 1939, the son of Walter and Rachel (Westphal) Butzer. He was a graduate of Morton High School. David met Norita Register at the Redwood Falls A&W in high school. It was the local teenage hang-out and referred to as "casing the barrel". It was love at first sight and they became life-long best friends and she was the love of his life. They would be united in marriage on June 15, 1958. They resided in Mankato while David was attending the University there. He graduated from Mankato State University with degrees in Economics, Business Administration, and Mathematics, all the while working full time to support his family.
They would make Shakopee their home and raise their children, Mike, Gail, and Wayne, here. David was recruited by his brother Jim to work for Univac as a Field Support Director, which would ultimately become Unisys. He was the youngest recipient of the Univac Award of Excellence and was well respected throughout his career. At one time, he oversaw 400 employees who were charged with switching IBM systems over to Univac systems. He retired after 31 years with the company. David often traveled for business; his favorite trips were those in which Norita was able to accompany him.
To David, family was everything. He was a patient father, often staying up late in the evening helping the kids with homework and projects. He served as a Webelo leader with Cub Scouts and taught Sunday School. His faith was important to him as well, and he served as a Church Elder at Good News Church in Shakopee. He and Norita spent lots of time with their grandchildren. It was a priority for them.
While raising their family, camping was the vehicle he used to keep family bonds strong. Most weekends were enjoyed at his brother Jim's lake home, on French Lake. You would often find David, Norita and their kids with his sister, Sally, his mother, Rachel, and Sally's kids, Lee, Ann, and Jon together on camping trips and enjoying the sailboat. He was an avid reader, enjoying western-themed books, even into his later years. He enjoyed puzzles and the game Scramble. David had learned carpentry from his father when he was young, and put those skills to use later in life, enjoying woodworking including projects with his grandchildren. While at The Gardens at St. Gertrude's, which dad affectionately referred to as "Lockdown," he was quite involved in the community. He did surveys, acting as a liaison between the food director and residents to find out preferences and what meal choices residents desired.
Dad loved Mom so very much and always felt her spirit close to him. He passed one day following the second anniversary of Norita's passing on November 21, 2023. He would always say, "I wish I could die one day following her, so she won't be alone too long." Their passing anniversary, November 21 & 22 holds a tender significance in our hearts.
We are so proud of the man our dad was and the strong example he set for us. Rest easy, Dad.
David is survived by his children, Mike (Lisa) Butzer, Gail (Andy) Hearing, and Wayne Butzer. His grandchildren, Samuel (Carly) Rosenwinkel, Kyra Rosenwinkel, and her fiancé, Michael Roffers, Rachel Mars, Alex (Luis) Martinez, Emily Hearing, and Darius Meyers; great-grandchildren, Cameron, Lucy, Jada, and Ezra. He was preceded in death by his parents, Walter and Rachel Butzer, and all of his siblings: Betty Blatt, Jim Butzer, Sally Sampson, and Gary Butzer.