Dr. Butler's Death in the News

I'm following the reports of Dr. Butler's passing in the news. It's early still, but there are some very nice missives being released about him. I like this one by Richard Peck, a former editor of Geriatrics magazine. Peck is apt in his description of Dr. Butler as "smooth" and "gentlemanly," and the word "bemused" certainly captures some of his character. The piece also captures some of the broader elements I sense about Dr. Butler's work - that it is now and always has been ahead of its time and will only truly be appreciated down the road. Here are two wonderful nuggets from the piece:

What impressed me a great deal was the "drop everything and do it" attitude these distinguished people displayed when the smooth, gentlemanly Butler requested their participation in Geriatrics projects and panel discussions. He was clearly held in universal high regard within the worldwide geriatrics community.

and 

For the past several years Dr. Butler headed up the International Center on Longevity and continued to explore new territories of aging-related issues that will someday be commonplace to all of us.
It will be another decade or two, I'm sure, before his achievements register upon us in full.

Here are some of the other pieces that have shown up on the Internet so far:

The statement "On the Passing of Dr. Robert N. Butler," by the Director of the New York State Office for the Aging speaks to some of Dr. Butler's accomplishments, as does the third version of the AP article.

More News Coverage: 
Here are some more articles that appeared shortly after Dr. Butler's death.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/07/health/research/07butler.html

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/07/06/AR2010070605125.html

http://www.latimes.com/news/obituaries/la-me-robert-butler-20100707,0,6726206.story

http://money.usnews.com/money/blogs/the-best-life/2010/07/07/seniors-owe-robert-butler-many-thanks.html

http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,2002134,00.html?xid=rss-health

http://www.themoneytimes.com/featured/20100708/gerontology-pioneer-robert-n-butler-expires-83-id-10119849.html


http://www.cjr.org/campaign_desk/the_passing_of_dr_robert_butler.php