Smyrna, DE – Kenneth “Butch” James Daniels, age 73, of Clayton, Delaware, passed away on Thursday, February 20, 2025 at Bayhealth Kent Campus in Dover, Delaware.
It is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of Kenneth James Daniels – affectionately known as “Butch” – of Clayton, Delaware. Butch passed away peacefully the morning of February 20, 2025, surrounded by his loving family.
Born on July 28, 1951, to Lee C. Daniels and Delores Horsey, Butch grew up immersed in the world of horses and harness racing, going on to forge a long career as a highly skilled farrier.
His dad Lee Daniels and brother Mark Daniels both drove horses for some years and both were accomplished drivers.
He was an accomplished blacksmith for 45 years shoeing mostly at Brandywine, Liberty Bell, Rosecroft, Free State, Freehold, Harrington and Dover Downs. He also shod on farms for people like Eddie Davis, Bay View, Jimmy King, and many others.
He was an artist with the hammer and anvil, as skilled in horses’ legs and hooves as any vet and was often called upon to care for prized horses long into his well-deserved retirement.
Butch was a people person, his charm and humor making everyone feel like a friend. A little-known fact about Butch was his love of writing and reading poetry. Please enjoy this befitting excerpt from one of his favorite poems,
The Jockey by Walter Scarborough Warrington:
“Boys, someone take my helmet, and someone take my whip. I won’t need them any longer boys; You see I’ve driven my last trip. As his life breath slowly left him, his old face began to shine. Don’t shed no tears for me boys! I just heard Jesus yell ‘Past Time!'”
And this excerpt from Butch’s Poem ‘untitled’:
“You shoe every day you’re gonna have a sore back. Any that says he don’t hurt is lying and that’s a fact”
Butch is survived by his devoted wife, Patricia; his cherished daughters Leigh (s. Scott) and Jennifer (s. Kirk); his beloved son Kevin (s. Natasha); his precious granddaughter Viola and her sister Paige; his sisters Terry (s. Rodger) and Cheryl (s. Kathy); and his nieces Tricia, Shawnetta “Shawnee” and Kipsyll “Kippy”. He is predeceased by his parents Lee and Elinor Daniels, Delores and Jim Cubbage and his younger and handsomer brother, Mark Daniels.
He was an avid horseback rider. His life was centered around horses.
We can’t wait to see our dear Butch again, a man who truly loved life and his family.
Rest in peace, Butch.