TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — A Tucson man is celebrating his 90th birthday with a journey that rolls through both time and memory.
“I walk just about every day,” David Butler explains, “I've never been a worrier, never mentally, got overwhelmed.”
Butler’s connection to the railroad runs deep. His father worked for Southern Pacific, and as a young kid, he often traveled solo by train to visit family in Los Fresnos, Texas. “My folks would put me on the train. I was 12 or 13 years old. I'd ride the train by myself all the way down there," Butler says.
Butler has lived in Tucson since 1940. To celebrate his 90th, Butler’s four daughters planned a trip to retrace those tracks.
“We're gonna get up early and we're going to, Uber down to the train station and get on the train and I don't know, are we gonna play cards? Are we gonna do any of that, dominoes?” one of the daughters, Becky, says.
Butler’s life reflects decades of service and hard work. He served in the military, worked as a telegraph operator in remote parts of Arizona, and spent more than 40 years working at the University of Arizona as the Registrar/Ombudsman until he retired in 2002.
He also recalls a very different Tucson, long before shopping malls and sprawling intersections.
“I think there were only two traffic lights in town when I came here,” Butler says, “One was at Stone and Speedway and the other was at Stone and Congress.”
He also had a unique mode of transportation when he was young. “I had a donkey. I'm the only guy I know that ever had a donkey, a pet donkey. I always wanted a horse, but my parents couldn’t afford one," Butler says.
Butler grew up during World War II, a time he says shaped the way communities came together. “When they would have metal scrap metal drives trying for the war effort,” he explains, “You could get into the Mickey Mouse Club for three coat hangers, three wire coat hangers if you turn them in.”
Now, his daughters are taking him back to Los Fresnos to show them the small Texas town where he spent part of his early life. "It's important not to lose history, especially your family history," Margaret explains, the youngest daughter.
The entire family says they are blessed and grateful to be able to go on this trip. "As adults, it's just been kind of phenomenal that we're all good friends. We love each other and we love each others kids," Katie says, the second-oldest daughter.
"Nothing for him is attention-seeking," Stephanie explains about her dad, "He's just a very humble person."
By sharing their journey and reflecting on life in Tucson, the Butler family hopes to inspire other families to make plans and cherish time with one another.
———
Athena Kehoe is a reporter for KGUN 9, she joined the KGUN 9 team in July of 2024 after graduating from Arizona State University. Share your story ideas with Athena by emailing athena.kehoe@kgun9.com or by connecting on X/Twitter.
----
STAY IN TOUCH WITH US ANYTIME, ANYWHERE
