Obituaries » Aaron J. Butcher
Aaron J. Butcher
July 23, 1979 - June 14, 2022
Service Date: June 21, 2022
Funeral Home Memorial Services of Iowa
It is with deep sorrow that we mourn the passing of Aaron James Butcher of Ankeny, Iowa on Tuesday, June 14 at the age of 42.
Visitation will be held from 4:00-7:00 p.m. on Monday, June 20, 2022 at Memorial Services of Iowa (4208 N. Ankeny Blvd.) A memorial service will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday, June 21, 2022, also at the funeral home. The family would like to invite Aaron’s friends to a Celebration of Life on Tuesday, following the memorial service at Kippy’s in Elkhart, Iowa. The memorial service will be livestreamed at the following link: https://vimeo.com/721191362
Aaron was born to Helen and John Butcher on July 23, 1979 in Ida Grove, Iowa. He grew up in Holstein, Iowa and graduated from Galva-Holstein High School in 1998. Growing up, he enjoyed football, earning first team all-state honors. Much of his time growing up was spent with great friends and rough-housing with his two brothers.
He moved to Ames, Iowa in 1998, where he spent the majority of his adulthood. He worked with his brother, Michael, at Caruth Construction for a time, and then began his 23-year career at Kinzler Construction Services. As an Ames resident, Aaron developed a love for ISU athletics. Saturdays at Jack Trice is where you could find Aaron during football season.
On June 6, 2005 Aaron and Lisa Vaughan became parents to a son, their pride and joy, Ethan Jeffrey Butcher. Lisa and Aaron remained close friends and wonderful co-parents to Ethan. Ethan loved spending time with his dad. They shared a love for Star Wars, snow skiing, shooting, and going out to eat together. The two of them recently attended a Tool concert.
Aaron married his soulmate, Ashley Dawn Snyder, on September 22, 2012. They resided in Ames, Iowa until 2015 and then built a home in Ankeny, Iowa. They enjoyed several amazing vacations to the ocean and mountains, while also enjoying a simple life at their lovely home with their dogs, Gracie and Luna.
Aaron loved the ocean, the mountains, and the earth. He developed his love for the sea during a trip to Jamaica in 2010. He became PADI-certified in 2012 so he could explore the depths of the ocean with his wife. He was an avid snow-skier, enjoying the slopes of Keystone, Colorado a few times each winter. He was a stickler about recycling, and while he would express his disappointment with those that slacked, he’d also offer to pick up their cans and take them in for redemption. Lately, he grew a particular and peculiar fondness of rhinos, and in fact did research on adopting one of his own. We know that given time and a taller fence, he would have made this happen.
More than anything, Aaron loved his people. And he let them know. He gave the best bear hugs and did not skimp on the “I Love You’s”. This is something his family and dear friends are eternally grateful for. He was the life of the party and always up for a deep conversation (which balanced out his rigorous B.S. that we all loved).
So many people on this earth feel as though they have lost their person, their best friend, their confidante. But the abundance of memories and love will provide some peace, comfort, and a gratefulness that Aaron Butcher was a part of their lives.
Aaron is preceded in death by his mother, Helen Fiddelke. He is survived by his wife, Ashley Butcher; son, Ethan Butcher; father, John Butcher; brothers, Michael (Jenny) Butcher (Annie, Drew & Beau), and Ian (Amy) Butcher (Logan); step-brother, Tony (Molly) Fiddelke (Margaret); parents-in-law, Don and Jane Snyder; brother-in-law, Andrew (Desirae) Snyder (Jaxon & Aliyah); and beloved uncles, aunts, and life-long friends.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to Oceana, a non-profit dedicated to protecting and restoring the world’s oceans. https://oceana.org/