Alan David Butler (23 October 1927 – July 1972) was a

Rhodesia Rhodesia (, ), officially from 1970 the Republic of Rhodesia, was an unrecognised state in Southern Africa from 1965 to 1979, equivalent in territory to modern Zimbabwe. Rhodesia was the ''de facto'' successor state to the British colony of S ...

n sailor, businessman and politician. He competed at the

1960 It is also known as the "Year of Africa" because of major events—particularly the independence of seventeen African nations—that focused global attention on the continent and intensified feelings of Pan-Africanism. Events January * Ja ...

and

1964 Summer Olympics The , officially the and commonly known as Tokyo 1964 ( ja, 東京1964), were an international multi-sport event held from 10 to 24 October 1964 in Tokyo, Japan. Tokyo had been awarded the organization of the 1940 Summer Olympics, but this ho ...

in the Flying Dutchman event and finished in fourth and eleventh place, respectively.

Family

Butler was born in London to

Lois Butler Lois Butler (3 November 1897 – 17 August 1970) was an Olympic skier, aviator and one of the early members of the Air Transport Auxiliary (ATA). Early life Lois Reid was born on 3 November 1897 in Montreal, Quebec, to Minnie (née Cormack) ('' ...

and Alan Samuel Butler. His mother competed in Alpine skiing at the 1936 Winter Olympics for Canada, and flew as a pilot for the Air Transport Auxiliary during the Second World War. His father was the chairman of the

de Havilland The de Havilland Aircraft Company Limited () was a British aviation manufacturer established in late 1920 by Geoffrey de Havilland at Stag Lane Aerodrome Edgware on the outskirts of north London. Operations were later moved to Hatfield in H ...

Aircraft Company. In 1951 Butler married Joanna; they had two sons, Nigel and Rhett. Joanna died of cancer in October 1970. In July 1971 Butler married Jill Ord.

Education

Butler studied at Eton College in England, and also spent some of his junior years in Canada.

Business and politics

In 1949 his family moved to Southern Rhodesia (present day Zimbabwe), where Butler became a farmer in Matabeleland and built a business empire, which included a charter aircraft company.

Sports

In the late 1940s he was a candidate for the British Alpine skiing Olympic team, but broke his ankles and ended his skiing career. In the 1950s he entered politics as a member of the Rhodesian parliament, and by the 1965 election was a leader of the United Federal Party. His party lost that election to

Rhodesian Front The Rhodesian Front was a right-wing conservative political party in Southern Rhodesia, subsequently known as Rhodesia. It was the last ruling party of Southern Rhodesia prior to that country's unilateral declaration of independence, and the rul ...

, a party that promoted the policy of white rule in the country. This resulted in the suspension of Rhodesia from the Olympic movement, closing any prospects for the 1968 Olympics for Butler.

Death

Butler was preparing for the 1972 Games in Europe, but was killed in a road accident in Belgium. His ashes were scattered from his own crop-spraying aircraft over his cattle ranch at

Balla Balla Mbalabala (Balla Balla until 1982) is a village on the main Beitbridge- Bulawayo road (at the junction with the Filabusi Road) in Matabeleland, Zimbabwe. Situated approximately 41 miles (66 km) south-east of the city of Bulawayo. The name ...

. Butler's wife Ord was seriously injured in the accident that killed Butler.

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Butler, David 1927 births 1972 deaths Members of the Legislative Assembly of Southern Rhodesia People educated at Eton College Sportspeople from London English people of Canadian descent White Rhodesian people British emigrants to Rhodesia Olympic sailors of Rhodesia Rhodesian male sailors (sport) Sailors at the 1960 Summer Olympics – Flying Dutchman Sailors at the 1964 Summer Olympics – Flying Dutchman Rhodesian businesspeople Rhodesian politicians Road incident deaths in Belgium Rhodesian company founders United Federal Party politicians