Dr. William "Bill" Butler Mahaffey

Dr. William (Bill) Butler Mahaffey, MD, age 88, of Upper Sandusky, Ohio, passed away on Wednesday, September 4, 2024, at Vancrest of Upper Sandusky.

Bill was born on July 16, 1936 in Upper Sandusky OH, to William W. "Wilbur" and Evelyn B. (Butler) Mahaffey, both of whom are deceased. He is survived by his 2 nieces, Jessica Rhyne (husband Todd) of Hickory, NC and Elaine Woods (husband Tim) of Cary, NC. Bill was preceded in death by his parents, and brother, Dr. Robert Bruce Mahaffey.

He was a 1954 graduate of Upper Sandusky High School. He went on to receive bachelor of science and doctor of medicine degrees from The Ohio State University, Columbus, where he subsequently completed a residency in anesthesiology at University Hospitals. Bill was a career Naval officer. He served in Naval hospitals in Portsmouth, VA; Groton, CT; and Camp Pendleton California. He served with the 3rd Marine Division in Vietnam and spent five years with the Submarine Force. After receiving his Masters degree in public health at the University of California at Los Angeles, Bill held several positions in preventive medicine, culminating with the position of commanding officer, Navy Environmental Health Center, Norfolk, VA.

When Bill retired he returned to Ohio, Columbus and then Upper Sandusky, to care for his parents and pursue his hobbies. Bill was an avid bird-watcher and traveled the world to see all varieties. During his travels (both while serving and in retirement) Bill also acquired a taste for collecting. His large collections included OSU memorabilia, stamps, coins, Hummels, Cats Meow homes, military medals, and many more. He had an extensive Crayon collection and was recognized at one point as being one of the largest collections in the world. It contained over 725 colors, all catalogued by manufacturer and hue. In his later years, Bill dedicated time to being a mentor and friend to inmates in the prison system. He would write letters, provide financial support, and accept phone calls from prisoners, giving them a kind ear and a strong role model on the outside. Bill loved meeting new people. He was quick to ask questions about where they were from and get details about their backgrounds. Even late in life, Bill continued to push himself to keep learning, reading voraciously about the world, medicine, and birds.

Funeral services for William Mahaffey will be held at 11:00 am, Saturday, September 14, 2024 at the Lucas Batton Funeral Home in Upper Sandusky with Father Savio Manavalan officiating.  Burial will follow at Oak Hill Cemetery, where military graveside rites to be conducted by the Upper Sandusky Color Guard. Visitations will be held 1 hour prior to service time on Saturday at the funeral home.

Memorials may be made to Transfiguration of the Lord Catholic Church and can be sent to Lucas Batton, 476 S. Sandusky Ave. Upper Sandusky, Ohio, 43351.

Online condolences may be sent to www.lucasbatton.com.

Transfiguration of the Lord Catholic Church
225 N. 8th St., Upper Sandusky OH 43351
Tel: 1-419-294-1268