Tiffany Butzbaugh

Tiffany Anne (Loftus) Butzbaugh died on April 13, 2026, in Verona, Wisconsin, where she lived with the family of her middle daughter, Alexa. She died peacefully at home, among loved ones.

Charismatic and fun-loving, Tiffany’s light burned bright. She embodied a wonderful mix of unconventionality and traditionalism. For example, with reasoning known only to her, Tiffany chose a brown panel van to cart her three daughters around in the 1970s and 80s and, instead of installing seats in the back, opted for carpet and beanbags. Meanwhile, she was a devotée of Emily Post and scandalized by bad grammar. Regardless, Tiffany laughed a lot – at herself, at life’s twists and turns, at whatever she happened to notice and reframe with her wit. She had a beautiful smile, too.

Tiffany’s strongest-held belief may have been in the primacy of education. She and her husband, Alfred M. Butzbaugh, did whatever was needed for their daughters to attend the schools they believed would best foster a love of learning and open-mindedness. Tiffany herself was a high school librarian and teacher. After retiring, she, with others in the community, focused on reinvigorating the library at Benton Harbor High School.

Tiffany also believed in the transformative power of travel, sometimes opting for unconventional destinations. In 1964, she and Al spent their honeymoon in Hungary and other Eastern Bloc countries and, in 1981, traveled to China. Tiffany would return to China more than a half dozen more times, bringing each of her children and one of her grandchildren.

Tiffany was born in Albany, New York on May 7, 1942, to C.T. and Penny Loftus. She spent her earliest years in Harrisonburg, Virginia, before her family moved to Benton Harbor, Michigan. Tiffany earned a Bachelor of Arts in English and a Master of Library Science at The University of Michigan and, decades later, earned a Ph.D. in sociology from Western Michigan University. Her Ph.D. dissertation focused on racial integration in the Benton Harbor school system.

Tiffany is survived by her daughters – Currie, Alexa (Kurt J. Patrick), and Mia (Travis W. Feldman) – and five grandchildren – Rylie, Cian, Lucretia, Maeve, and Frank.

A celebration of Tiffany’s life will be held in St. Joseph, Michigan in July.