In Memoriam

In Loving Memory of Suzi Butterfield: A Bright Light Graduated to Eternal Life

With great sadness, I learned that my dear friend Suzi Butterfield (March 13, 1939 - January 19, 2026) has passed at the age of 86. Yet even in this sadness, I find comfort—because Suzi was one of those blessed souls who held an unshakeable conviction that this life is only the beginning of an eternal journey with God. I have known others with similar faith—people who faced death without fear because they knew it was simply the next step. Suzi lived what she believed, and she carried that faith with grace, courage, and an open heart for the many to whom she was a true friend.

I first met Suzi when our Urantia Book study group friend, David Butterfield, fell in love with her. They met while both were working as couples counselors—two souls dedicated to healing relationships, who found in each other the deepest partnership of all.

David and Suzi moved from Santa Barbara, California, to Costa Rica, where they founded another study group and began participating actively in the Teaching Mission. They built a rustic home on beautifully sloped land overlooking Lake Arenal. Their home became a sanctuary—not just for them, but for all of us who were blessed to know them.

It was their "psychological support letters" that first brought me to Costa Rica. I attended their meetings for years, and I will never forget those outdoor porch gatherings in the people-friendly Province of Guanacaste—the tropical air, the circle of seekers, and Suzi's gentle but solid presence anchoring us all.

My friend Rick Voss, who also knew and loved Suzi deeply, wrote these beautiful words:

"I was quite saddened by the news Suzi Butterfield had passed on, but heartened by the thought that she would soon be reunited with her beloved partner David.

Suzi was a bright light in this troubled world. She was a gentle soul but a solid presence wherever she went.

I feel forever enriched by the beautiful teachings she brought to this world through her courage to transmit the celestials Alena and Legion, and I cherish the memories of spending time with Suzi and David at their hilltop garden home in Costa Rica.

The mansion worlds have just become a little brighter with her presence there.

I send you my love, Suzi. Carry on."

Rick's words express what so many of us feel: Suzi was a channel of light. Through her courage to serve as a transmitter-receiver in the Teaching Mission, she brought us the wisdom of celestial teachers—Alena and Legion—who guided, comforted, and challenged us to grow spiritually, always based on and spiritually validated by The Urantia Papers.

Her transmissions were never performative or self-serving. They were gentle, clear, and filled with love. Suzi understood that she was not the source of these teachings—she was simply willing to be the instrument. And what an instrument she was.

Suzi and David's partnership was one of the great love stories I have witnessed. They were true spiritual companions—supporting each other's growth, serving others together, and creating a home where heaven touched earth.

When David graduated to the mansion worlds almost seven years ago, Suzi carried on with that same grace and faith. She knew, with absolute certainty, that love is eternal and that the journey continues.

And now, she has joined him. I can imagine their reunion—David welcoming her with open arms, both of them stepping forward together into the next phase of their eternal adventure.

Suzi taught me—taught all of us—that faith is not the absence of doubt or fear. Faith is the decision to trust God's love even when we cannot see the full picture.

She taught me that this life is preparation. Every challenge we face, every lesson we learn, every act of love we offer—it all matters. Not just for this world, but for the next, and the next, as we grow toward perfection.

She taught me that gentleness is not weakness. Suzi was one of the gentlest people I have ever known, but she was also one of the strongest. Her gentleness came from certainty—the certainty that love wins, that God is good, and that we are all held in divine hands.

Jason, I know these last years were not easy, and I know you cared for your mother with great love and dedication.

What you are experiencing now—this grief, this loss—is sacred. It is real. It is not something to be rushed through or reasoned away. The loss of your mother is a vital part of your world that has been torn away, and no amount of faith or belief in her eternal journey changes the reality of that absence in your life here and now.

I will not tell you to find comfort in knowing she is "in a better place." That may be true—I believe it is true—but it is not what your grief is about. Your grief is about your loss, your emptiness, your journey of coming to terms with a world that no longer has her physical presence in it. That is a large and challenging path, and it offers its own special kinds of opportunities for growth, but it must be walked at your own pace, in your own way.

Please know that grief is not something to be suppressed or hurried past. It is something to be honored. This is a sacred time for you—a time when you will discover things about yourself, about love, about loss, and about what it means to carry someone's memory forward while also releasing them.

Your mother was a gift to this world. She touched more lives than you may ever know—not through grand gestures, but through simple presence, faithful service, and the quiet courage to say "yes" when the celestials called. You knew her in ways no one else did. You cared for her when she needed you most. That bond is eternal, even as you now face the painful reality of her physical absence.

I honor your grief, Jason. I honor your loss. And I honor the journey you now walk—a journey that is yours alone, and yet one that connects you to every human being who has ever loved and lost.

As Rick said so beautifully: The mansion worlds have just become a little brighter with her presence there.

I picture Suzi now—reunited with David, greeted by Alena and Legion, welcomed by the celestial friends who worked with her for so many years. I picture her laughing with joy, free from the limitations of the flesh, stepping forward into new adventures of learning and service.

She is not gone. She has simply moved to the next classroom in God's vast universe.

Suzi, my dear friend: Thank you for your courage. Thank you for your faith. Thank you for showing us what it looks like to live with one foot in this world and one foot in the next.

You brought heaven to earth through your life, your love, and your willingness to serve. You made the Teaching Mission real for so many of us. You gave us hope that this life is not all there is—that we are part of something infinite, beautiful, even eternal—although I have no real concept of what that actually means.

I send you my love, Suzi.

Carry on.

And we who remain will carry on too—inspired by your example, comforted by your faith, and grateful beyond words for the gift of having known you.

Until we meet again in the mansion worlds,

Oliver Duex
On behalf of all who loved you

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In Memoriam