An extraordinary husband, father, grandfather, anesthesiologist, researcher and mentor to many, John F. Butterworth, IV, MD, passed away on June 9, 2023. Along with many others in the anesthesia community, the International Anesthesia Research Society (IARS) feels his loss profoundly. A long-time champion of anesthesia research and IARS more specifically, Dr. Butterworth contributed greatly to their advancement and emphasized scholarship and mentorship throughout his career, always looking to the future and what the specialty and healthcare could become. He shared his optimism, wit, sharp intellect and curiosity with all whom he encountered.

His remarkable journey began in Richmond, Virginia. After earning his undergraduate degree from the University of Virginia, he attended Virginia Commonwealth University for Medical School. His initial interest was in neurosurgery but he quickly realized that anesthesiology would give him an opportunity to be more involved in care early in his career.  He completed his residency and fellowship at The Department of Anesthesia at Brigham & Women’s Hospital in Boston, where he stayed on as faculty member. He left to join the faculty at Wake Forest Hospital, and quickly rose to the rank of Professor of Anesthesiology and Director of Clinical Trials Research. In addition, Dr. Butterworth was the Head, Section of Cardiothoracic Anesthesiology.  In 2005, he was recruited as the Robert Stoelting Chair of Anesthesiology at Indiana University, a position he held until 2011. His love for his hometown and community drew him back to Virginia Commonwealth University in 2011, where he served as the Professor & Chair of the Department of Anesthesiology until his retirement in 2020.

Always anticipating the next move and opportunity for the anesthesiology specialty, Dr. Butterworth liked to approach research and academics with Wayne Gretzky in mind. He emphasized passionately that anesthesiologists, clinicians and researchers alike needed to be skating to where the puck will be. He strived to discover what was important for the future of education, training and medicine and focused on where the specialty was heading. He believed that the future of anesthesia and medicine was incredibly bright.

Throughout his life, he played a major role in ensuring that bright and promising future. Dr. Butterworth contributed to furthering discovery through his own research in cardiovascular anesthesia and pain medicine resulting in several signature publications and multiple extramural funded grants. Additionally, he served on multiple editorial boards of medical journals as well as boards of religious and national, regional and international medical organizations. IARS was lucky enough to be among that list of international medical organizations for which Dr. Butterworth shared his expertise and passion.

His steadfast dedication to IARS, its community and mission to improve patient care through discovery and education began in 1986 when he was awarded the B.B. Sankey Anesthesia Advancement Award for his research on “Brain Cellular Mechanisms of Increased Anesthetic Susceptibility With Aging.” His involvement with IARS continued to grow from there. Recognized as an extraordinary and prolific reviewer for its journal, Anesthesia & Analgesia, Dr. Butterworth was invited to join its editorial board where he served for over 13 years. He was an invited lecturer at many major meetings regionally, nationally and internationally, including the IARS Annual Meeting. In 2008, he took his service to the IARS to the next level, joining the Board of Trustees where he contributed through 2020. He served for many years as the Journal Liaison for Anesthesia & Analgesia and was responsible for onboarding as well as providing valuable guidance to the Editor-in-Chief. Dr. Butterworth also led the Board of Trustees as Chair prior to concluding his term.

In addition to his contributions to IARS, he was also a member of the Board of Directors of American Society of Regional Anesthesia & Pain Medicine (ASRA) and served as an examiner for the American Board of Anesthesiology. Recently, he also served as Co-Editor-In-Chief of Current Opinion in Anesthesiology.

Recognizing his lifelong advocacy for patients and their physicians, he received the Clarence Holland Award in 2018 from the Medical Society of Virginia. This award acknowledges MSV member physicians who have high personal integrity and have demonstrated outstanding leadership in their fields, qualities that Dr. Butterworth embodied tenfold.

Personally, he was admired for his dry humor, intellect, and compassion by his colleagues and friends. Upon retiring in 2020, he also took the opportunity to pursue his many hobbies, including cycling, fishing, photography and home repair. A history afficionado, Dr. Butterworth spent many hours listening to history podcasts while walking his dogs. He admired his wife Pamela, his children Kristin and Mathew and his grandchildren Will and Nicholas. He expressed his joy at moving back to his hometown of Richmond, VA, to be closer to his family and in retirement spending time with family was a major priority. He was blessed to have an extended and large family including two sisters, Ann V. Butterworth of Nashville and Elizabeth B. Stutts of Goochland; three nephews, one niece, two grandnephews, and one grandniece. In addition, he is survived by numerous cousins and their even more numerous offspring.

Dr. Butterworth will long be remembered as a kind compassionate doctor, superb leader, dedicated researcher, mentor and guide to many, dedicated husband, father and grandfather. We will miss him greatly but his legacy will live on through his many contributions to anesthesiology and medicine and through those whom he befriended, guided and shared his compassion, wit and generosity.

A service was held on Saturday, June 24 at St. John’s Episcopal Church and a celebration of his life was held on Wednesday, June 28. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to the James River Foundation or the National Audubon Society.