Long before winning awards for mathematics, Duff Butterill was recognized for his work in another scientific field. In 1943 he received the M.B.E. in the King’s Honour List for meritorious service while serving as a meteorological officer at an airforce training school in Dunnville, Ontario. Duff worked there, and at Malton, as a forecaster during the Second World War, and taught aircrews about weather.
Duff went to elementary school in Toronto and London, then high school at Humberside C.I. in Toronto. He attended both the University of Western Ontario and the University of Toronto.
Teaching took him to Ottawa: Ottawa Technical H.S., Lisgar C.I., Woodroffe H.S., and Laurentian H.S. He was department head at both Woodroffe and Laurentian.
Duff served with the Ottawa School Board as a master teacher, mathematics consultant, and coordinator of Pure Sciences. He was involved with O.A.T.M. and O.A.M.E., and was a school trustee in Nepean.
Beyond his worklife, Duff had many interests: curling, a teachers’ band, driving courses for seniors. He also loved wordworking, and built the house he and his wife lived in together for more than 50 years.