Alexander Porter Butterfield
OBITUARY
Just one month shy of his 100th birthday, Alexander Porter Butterfield Sr. passed away peacefully on March 9, 2026, at his home in La Jolla, California. He was surrounded by his family and devoted caregivers.
Alex was born on April 6, 1926, in Pensacola, Florida. He lived a full and meaningful life, defined by his deep love for family and friends, his sharp sense of humor, his captivating storytelling, his generous spirit, and a steadfast integrity that would place him at the center of American history.
Influenced by his father and six generations of U.S. military leadership in his family, Alex joined the United States Air Force in 1948 at the age of twenty-two. He served honorably as a fighter pilot and later as Commander of a Reconnaissance Squadron stationed in Okinawa during the Vietnam War. While stationed in Germany, he flew with the USAF Sky Blazers, the European wing of the Thunderbirds acrobatic team.
His distinguished military career also included service as Assistant to the Commander of the Pacific in Honolulu, Hawaii; time at the Pentagon as Assistant to the Secretary of Defense; and several years as the senior U.S. military representative in Canberra, Australia. He earned numerous honors, including the Distinguished Flying Cross, and rose quickly to the rank of Colonel.
In 1969, Colonel Butterfield chose to retire from the Air Force to accept a presidential appointment as Deputy Assistant to President Richard Nixon. During Nixon’s second term, he left the White House to become Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration, another presidential appointment, a role he held until 1975.
While serving as FAA Administrator, Alex played a pivotal role in American history when he testified before the Watergate Committee, revealing the existence of a taping system he had been directed by President Nixon to install in the Oval Office and the White House Cabinet Room. His testimony ultimately unraveled the Watergate cover-up and led to President Nixon’s resignation.
Alex attended UCLA for two years before entering the Air Force and later earned a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Maryland in 1956. He attended the National War College, earned a master’s degree from George Washington University in 1967, and later completed a master’s degree at the University of California, San Diego. A lifelong learner, he continued pursuing a doctorate in history well into his eighties.
Alex was preceded in death by his parents, Admiral Horace Bushnell Butterfield, USN (Ret.), and Susan Alexander Butterfield; his younger brother, Charles Warren Butterfield; his former wife and mother of his children, Charlotte Maguire Butterfield; and two of his children, Leslie Carter Butterfield and Captain Alexander Porter Butterfield Jr., USN (Ret.).
He leaves many loving memories as a devoted husband, father, uncle, and Papa. He is survived by his wife, Kim Butterfield of La Jolla, California; his daughters, Susan Butterfield Holcomb of Santa Cruz, California, and Elisabeth Gordon Buchholz of Newport, Rhode Island; his daughter-in-law, Vanessa Butterfield of San Diego, California; his nieces and nephew, Rebecca, Carolyn, and Kent Butterfield; eight grandchildren; and thirteen great-grandchildren. His family, and all who knew him well, will forever cherish his memory and deeply miss his loving presence.
Interment for Alexander P. Butterfield Sr. is being planned at Arlington National Cemetery in Washington, D.C. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that condolences be made in his honor to The Brain Observatory, 725 West Broadway, San Diego, California. https://www.thebrainobservatory.org/donate The Brain Observatory is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization registered in California. EIN: 46-2049025.
A Celebration of Life honoring Alexander P. Butterfield Sr. will be held on Sunday, April 12, 2026, at the UCSD Faculty Club, located at 3035 Muir Lane, La Jolla, California, 92093. Family and friends are welcome to gather between the hours of 2:00 and 5:00 p.m. to remember and celebrate his remarkable life.