Michael Boutwell was born in Clinton, Oklahoma, on Sept. 11, 1945, to parents Moley and Lois Boutwell. He passed away peacefully at age 78 surrounded by family at his home in Ridgefield, Washington, on Oct. 8, 2023.
He is survived by his wife of 57 years, Cheryl Ball Boutwell; his son, Aaron (Kris Banks) Boutwell; his daughter, Sally Boutwell (Nathan) Dexter; his three grandchildren, Danielle Boutwell, Nolan Dexter and Gracie Dexter; his sister, Kathy Boutwell; his sister, Nancy Boutwell (Don) Frick; his sister-in-law, Janice (Jeff) Boutwell; and his niece, Jennifer Boutwell (Darrin) Anderson.
He was preceded in death by his father, Moley Boutwell; his mother, Lois Boutwell; his brother, Jeff Boutwell; and his nephew, Brian Boutwell.
Michael lived the majority of his life in Ridgefield, Washington. He graduated from Ridgefield High School and attended Clark College. He earned various certifications from Clark College as well as from the U.S. Navy. During his service in the Navy, he was stationed in Tennessee, California, Alaska and Hawaii, with deployments to Okinawa, the Philippines and Vietnam. He served as an aviation machinist mate (jet engine) mechanic 2nd class. He was an aircrewman on P3 Orions assigned to Patrol Squadron 22 (VP 22).
He married his high school sweetheart, Cheryl Ball, in 1966 while in the military. Upon his discharge, the couple resided in Ridgefield for the remaining years of his life. While living in this community, he served as Little League president and coach for a number of years. He was also an active hunter, especially enjoying duck hunting. He worked for Pacific Wood Treating in Ridgefield and Great Western Malting in Vancouver until his retirement.
Michael was a dedicated, hard-working family man, loyal to his family and friends, and set a good example of those standards for his children. His advice was always no-nonsense, not sugar-coated — just straightforward, solid guidance.
Having lived in Ridgefield most of his life, he was fortunate to have grown up next door to one set of his grandparents. He was also proud that three generations of his family would carry on “Spudder” pride.
A private celebration of life is being planned. He is greatly loved, deeply missed, and will be in our hearts forever.
