Butler Sturtevant
Encyclopedia
Butler Stevens Sturtevant (1 September 1899 – 1971) was an American landscape architect
.
2 to James Brown and Ada Belle Sturtevant. In 1918 he enrolled in the undergraduate horticulture program at the University of California, Southern Branch (now UCLA)3. He graduated in 1921. Concurrent with his studies, he gained practical construction experience working with several Southern California
n landscape architects in including Florence Yoch, Charles Adams, A E. Hansen, and the firm of Cook, Hall and Cornell4. In 1921, he sharpened his knowledge of plant materials and gained nursery experience working with Theodore Payne5, the well-known specialist in California native plants
.
Graduate School of Landscape Architecture
and City Planning6. He completed all work but his thesis, and did not earn his graduate degree
. His classmates included Thomas D. Church and Charles Eliot II. Immediately following Harvard, Sturtevant worked for a series of offices. Initially, he returned to the firm of Cook Hall & Cornell, in Los Angeles
7, from 1924 to 1925, where he served as an office draftsman. This was followed by brief stints from 1925 to 1926 at Stiles & Van Kleek8, in their St. Petersburg, Florida
office; office manager and head designer for Fletcher Steele9, in Boston, from 1926 to 1927; and as a designer with Gardner, Gardner & Fischer10, in Los Angeles, from 1927 to 1928.
In 1928, he opened his own office in Seattle, Washington11, to participate with architects Charles Herbert Bebb & Carl Freylinghausen Gould in the design of the Normandy Park Subdivision Master Plan (1928 to 1929)12.
, in Victoria, British Columbia
from 1928 to 1930; and a courtyard garden at the Children’s Orthopedic Hospital14, in Seattle from 1930 to 1931, (no longer extant). Gould, who was the key figure in the creation of the 1915 Regents Plan that forever shaped the University of Washington
campus, also recommended Sturtevant for the campus landscape architect position, which he held from 1931 to 1939. Using Works Progress Administration
(WPA) funds, Sturtevant directed nearly 900 laborers to re-work portions of the campus master plan and landscape around new construction projects, including the plantings around Anderson Hall from 1931 to 1932, the construction of a new 2-½ acre herbal
garden from 1934 to 1936, the reconstruction of Rainier Vista from 1935 to 1937, the renovation of Drumheller Fountain from 1935 to 1936, and the planting of cedar trees on Stevens Way in 193815.
Beginning in 1931, Sturtevant served as the campus landscape architect16 for Principia College
, a small Christian Science
school in Elsah, Illinois
, where he was responsible for both the planning and landscape architecture. Land for the campus was purchased from the previous owner, wealthy St. Louis
an, Lucy V. Semple Ames. Notchcliff, the original Ames mansion, had burned in 1911, and in November 1930 the Principia Corporation purchased the spectacular bluff land along the Mississippi River.
Bernard Maybeck
and his successor, Henry Gutterson were the principal architects at Principia. The Sturtevant relationship with Maybeck was tumultuous, and the client had to beg Maybeck to continue working with Sturtevant, acknowledging that Sturtevant was “tactless and impulsive and has not always remembered that we began with the definite understanding that the architect was to have general supervision of the landscape plans,” but noting that Sturtevant was enthusiastic and “unquestionably in love with his work here.17” Maybeck completed his portion of the commission, leaving Sturtevant to work on various campus projects until 1969.
Sturtevant’s work at the Frederick Remington Green Garden18 in the Highlands neighborhood in Seattle from 1931 to 1933; and the William O. McKay Roof Garden19 in Seattle from 1931 to 1932 established his reputation as a residential landscape designer. His 1936-37 design for the Ambrose Patterson Garden20 in Seattle was shown as Seattle’s first modern garden, at the San Francisco Museum of Art’s exhibition, “Contemporary Landscape Architecture and Its Sources.21” He collaborated with J. Lister Holmes on the Arnold Dessau house22 in the Highlands neighborhood in Seattle from 1937 to 1939, to “bring the outdoors inside.” Across the road, another project, the Paul Piggott residence23 (formerly Norcliffe), from 1943 to 1945; included a cliffside pool; unique in the Northwest. Sturtevant, while working around the country, maintained an office in Elsah, Illinois. From 1931 to 1940, he kept a desk in Thomas Church’s San Francisco office24. When in the Bay Area, Sturtevant led the design of the 1935 and 1936 California Spring Garden Shows24. He also involved in the landscape design
of the 1939 Golden Gate
Exposition on Treasure Island25.
In 1941, Sturtevant served as the first president of the San Francisco chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects
26. Later that year he joined the U.S. Army Air Corps
, where he served as a Major in the Army Air Force
and Chief of their Airport Unit. During this time he formed a partnership with Edwin Grohs. This partnership allowed Sturtevant to work on wartime housing projects
such as Yesler Terrance and Holly Park
in Seattle27. He also contributed to Westpark, Eastpark, and Bremerton Gardens28, all in Bremerton while he was laying out military airfields throughout the southern United States
.
At the end of the war, Sturtevant opened a San Francisco office under succeeding names: Western Engineers from 1945 to 1946; and Sturtevant & French, from 1946 to 194729. The work during this time emphasized airport design, but only the Portland Airport
in Portland, Oregon
from 1945 to 1948 can be confirmed30. He also began to do larger land planning work, executing master plans for the Pope Estate31 in Burlingame, California
from 1946 to 1947), and the Village of Hana32, on the Island of Maui, Hawaii
from 1947 to 1949.
Campus Master Plan, in Beirut, Lebanon
, from 1961 to 1962; worked for John Brown University
, in Siloam Springs, Arkansas
from 1962 to 1963; and the Mason Woods Development, in St. Louis, Missouri
from 1966 to 1969. He fell ill with colon cancer
and died at the Christian Science Sanatorium in San Francisco on April 11, 197134.
Landscape architect
A landscape architect is a person involved in the planning, design and sometimes direction of a landscape, garden, or distinct space. The professional practice is known as landscape architecture....
.
Early years
Butler Stevens Sturtevant, a ninth-generation Mayflower1 descendant was born on September 1, 1899, in Delavan, WisconsinDelavan, Wisconsin
Delavan is a city in Walworth County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 8,463 at the 2010 census. The city is located partially within the Town of Delavan.-Economy:Delavan is home to the Wisconsin School for the Deaf, and Andes Candies.-History:...
2 to James Brown and Ada Belle Sturtevant. In 1918 he enrolled in the undergraduate horticulture program at the University of California, Southern Branch (now UCLA)3. He graduated in 1921. Concurrent with his studies, he gained practical construction experience working with several Southern California
Southern California
Southern California is a megaregion, or megapolitan area, in the southern area of the U.S. state of California. Large urban areas include Greater Los Angeles and Greater San Diego. The urban area stretches along the coast from Ventura through the Southland and Inland Empire to San Diego...
n landscape architects in including Florence Yoch, Charles Adams, A E. Hansen, and the firm of Cook, Hall and Cornell4. In 1921, he sharpened his knowledge of plant materials and gained nursery experience working with Theodore Payne5, the well-known specialist in California native plants
California native plants
California native plants are plants that existed in California prior to the arrival of European explorers and colonists in the late 18th century...
.
Education and working experiences
In 1922 he enrolled in the Harvard UniversityHarvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
Graduate School of Landscape Architecture
Landscape architecture
Landscape architecture is the design of outdoor and public spaces to achieve environmental, socio-behavioral, or aesthetic outcomes. It involves the systematic investigation of existing social, ecological, and geological conditions and processes in the landscape, and the design of interventions...
and City Planning6. He completed all work but his thesis, and did not earn his graduate degree
Academic degree
An academic degree is a position and title within a college or university that is usually awarded in recognition of the recipient having either satisfactorily completed a prescribed course of study or having conducted a scholarly endeavour deemed worthy of his or her admission to the degree...
. His classmates included Thomas D. Church and Charles Eliot II. Immediately following Harvard, Sturtevant worked for a series of offices. Initially, he returned to the firm of Cook Hall & Cornell, in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
7, from 1924 to 1925, where he served as an office draftsman. This was followed by brief stints from 1925 to 1926 at Stiles & Van Kleek8, in their St. Petersburg, Florida
St. Petersburg, Florida
St. Petersburg is a city in Pinellas County, Florida, United States. It is known as a vacation destination for both American and foreign tourists. As of 2008, the population estimate by the U.S. Census Bureau is 245,314, making St...
office; office manager and head designer for Fletcher Steele9, in Boston, from 1926 to 1927; and as a designer with Gardner, Gardner & Fischer10, in Los Angeles, from 1927 to 1928.
In 1928, he opened his own office in Seattle, Washington11, to participate with architects Charles Herbert Bebb & Carl Freylinghausen Gould in the design of the Normandy Park Subdivision Master Plan (1928 to 1929)12.
Practice
For the next decade Sturtevant’s practice flourished. A recommendation from architect Carl Gould led to Sturtevant’s design for the New Rose Garden13 at Butchart GardensButchart Gardens
The Butchart Gardens is a group of floral display gardens in Brentwood Bay, British Columbia, Canada, located near Victoria on Vancouver Island. The gardens receive more than a million visitors each year...
, in Victoria, British Columbia
Victoria, British Columbia
Victoria is the capital city of British Columbia, Canada and is located on the southern tip of Vancouver Island off Canada's Pacific coast. The city has a population of about 78,000 within the metropolitan area of Greater Victoria, which has a population of 360,063, the 15th most populous Canadian...
from 1928 to 1930; and a courtyard garden at the Children’s Orthopedic Hospital14, in Seattle from 1930 to 1931, (no longer extant). Gould, who was the key figure in the creation of the 1915 Regents Plan that forever shaped the University of Washington
University of Washington
University of Washington is a public research university, founded in 1861 in Seattle, Washington, United States. The UW is the largest university in the Northwest and the oldest public university on the West Coast. The university has three campuses, with its largest campus in the University...
campus, also recommended Sturtevant for the campus landscape architect position, which he held from 1931 to 1939. Using Works Progress Administration
Works Progress Administration
The Works Progress Administration was the largest and most ambitious New Deal agency, employing millions of unskilled workers to carry out public works projects, including the construction of public buildings and roads, and operated large arts, drama, media, and literacy projects...
(WPA) funds, Sturtevant directed nearly 900 laborers to re-work portions of the campus master plan and landscape around new construction projects, including the plantings around Anderson Hall from 1931 to 1932, the construction of a new 2-½ acre herbal
Herbalism
Herbalism is a traditional medicinal or folk medicine practice based on the use of plants and plant extracts. Herbalism is also known as botanical medicine, medical herbalism, herbal medicine, herbology, herblore, and phytotherapy...
garden from 1934 to 1936, the reconstruction of Rainier Vista from 1935 to 1937, the renovation of Drumheller Fountain from 1935 to 1936, and the planting of cedar trees on Stevens Way in 193815.
Beginning in 1931, Sturtevant served as the campus landscape architect16 for Principia College
Principia College
Principia College is a four-year private co-educational liberal arts college in Elsah, Illinois. The campus sits on bluffs overlooking the Mississippi River between Alton and Grafton, located about thirty miles north of St. Louis. In 1934, Principia College graduated its first class as a full...
, a small Christian Science
Christian Science
Christian Science is a system of thought and practice derived from the writings of Mary Baker Eddy and the Bible. It is practiced by members of The First Church of Christ, Scientist as well as some others who are nonmembers. Its central texts are the Bible and the Christian Science textbook,...
school in Elsah, Illinois
Elsah, Illinois
Elsah is a village in Jersey County, Illinois, United States. As of the 2000 U.S. census, the village had a total population of 673. Cyrus Bunting is the the village's current acting mayor.Elsah is a part of the Metro-East region and the St...
, where he was responsible for both the planning and landscape architecture. Land for the campus was purchased from the previous owner, wealthy St. Louis
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
an, Lucy V. Semple Ames. Notchcliff, the original Ames mansion, had burned in 1911, and in November 1930 the Principia Corporation purchased the spectacular bluff land along the Mississippi River.
Bernard Maybeck
Bernard Maybeck
Bernard Ralph Maybeck was a architect in the Arts and Crafts Movement of the early 20th century. He was a professor at University of California, Berkeley...
and his successor, Henry Gutterson were the principal architects at Principia. The Sturtevant relationship with Maybeck was tumultuous, and the client had to beg Maybeck to continue working with Sturtevant, acknowledging that Sturtevant was “tactless and impulsive and has not always remembered that we began with the definite understanding that the architect was to have general supervision of the landscape plans,” but noting that Sturtevant was enthusiastic and “unquestionably in love with his work here.17” Maybeck completed his portion of the commission, leaving Sturtevant to work on various campus projects until 1969.
Sturtevant’s work at the Frederick Remington Green Garden18 in the Highlands neighborhood in Seattle from 1931 to 1933; and the William O. McKay Roof Garden19 in Seattle from 1931 to 1932 established his reputation as a residential landscape designer. His 1936-37 design for the Ambrose Patterson Garden20 in Seattle was shown as Seattle’s first modern garden, at the San Francisco Museum of Art’s exhibition, “Contemporary Landscape Architecture and Its Sources.21” He collaborated with J. Lister Holmes on the Arnold Dessau house22 in the Highlands neighborhood in Seattle from 1937 to 1939, to “bring the outdoors inside.” Across the road, another project, the Paul Piggott residence23 (formerly Norcliffe), from 1943 to 1945; included a cliffside pool; unique in the Northwest. Sturtevant, while working around the country, maintained an office in Elsah, Illinois. From 1931 to 1940, he kept a desk in Thomas Church’s San Francisco office24. When in the Bay Area, Sturtevant led the design of the 1935 and 1936 California Spring Garden Shows24. He also involved in the landscape design
Landscape design
Landscape design is an independent profession and a design and art tradition, practised by landscape designers, combining nature and culture. In contemporary practice landscape design bridges between landscape architecture and garden design.-Design scope:...
of the 1939 Golden Gate
Golden Gate
The Golden Gate is the North American strait connecting San Francisco Bay to the Pacific Ocean. Since 1937 it has been spanned by the Golden Gate Bridge...
Exposition on Treasure Island25.
In 1941, Sturtevant served as the first president of the San Francisco chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects
American Society of Landscape Architects
The American Society of Landscape Architects is the national professional association representing landscape architects, with more than 17,000 members in 48 chapters, representing all 50 states, U.S. territories, and 42 countries around the world, plus 68 student chapters...
26. Later that year he joined the U.S. Army Air Corps
United States Army Air Corps
The United States Army Air Corps was a forerunner of the United States Air Force. Renamed from the Air Service on 2 July 1926, it was part of the United States Army and the predecessor of the United States Army Air Forces , established in 1941...
, where he served as a Major in the Army Air Force
Air force
An air force, also known in some countries as an air army, is in the broadest sense, the national military organization that primarily conducts aerial warfare. More specifically, it is the branch of a nation's armed services that is responsible for aerial warfare as distinct from an army, navy or...
and Chief of their Airport Unit. During this time he formed a partnership with Edwin Grohs. This partnership allowed Sturtevant to work on wartime housing projects
Public housing
Public housing is a form of housing tenure in which the property is owned by a government authority, which may be central or local. Social housing is an umbrella term referring to rental housing which may be owned and managed by the state, by non-profit organizations, or by a combination of the...
such as Yesler Terrance and Holly Park
NewHolly, Seattle
NewHolly is a neighborhood in southeast Seattle, Washington, USA.Holly Park was built in the 1940s to house defense workers and veterans, but in the 1950s, it was converted into public housing under the aegis of the Seattle Housing Authority...
in Seattle27. He also contributed to Westpark, Eastpark, and Bremerton Gardens28, all in Bremerton while he was laying out military airfields throughout the southern United States
Southern United States
The Southern United States—commonly referred to as the American South, Dixie, or simply the South—constitutes a large distinctive area in the southeastern and south-central United States...
.
At the end of the war, Sturtevant opened a San Francisco office under succeeding names: Western Engineers from 1945 to 1946; and Sturtevant & French, from 1946 to 194729. The work during this time emphasized airport design, but only the Portland Airport
Portland International Airport
Portland International Airport is a joint civil-military airport and the largest airport in the U.S. state of Oregon, accounting for 90% of passenger travel and more than 95% of air cargo of the state. It is located within Portland's city limits just south of the Columbia River in Multnomah...
in Portland, Oregon
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
from 1945 to 1948 can be confirmed30. He also began to do larger land planning work, executing master plans for the Pope Estate31 in Burlingame, California
Burlingame, California
Burlingame is a city in San Mateo County, California. It is located on the San Francisco Peninsula and has a significant shoreline on San Francisco Bay. The city is named after diplomat Anson Burlingame. It is renowned for its many surviving examples of Victorian architecture, its affluence, and...
from 1946 to 1947), and the Village of Hana32, on the Island of Maui, Hawaii
Maui
The island of Maui is the second-largest of the Hawaiian Islands at and is the 17th largest island in the United States. Maui is part of the state of Hawaii and is the largest of Maui County's four islands, bigger than Lānai, Kahoolawe, and Molokai. In 2010, Maui had a population of 144,444,...
from 1947 to 1949.
Last Years
In 1954, Sturtevant moved back to his native Midwest, settling in St. Louis to work on the design of the Principia School campus from 1948 to 1969 for grades K-1233. He also executed the American UniversityAmerican University
American University is a private, Methodist, liberal arts, and research university in Washington, D.C. The university was chartered by an Act of Congress on December 5, 1892 as "The American University", which was approved by President Benjamin Harrison on February 24, 1893...
Campus Master Plan, in Beirut, Lebanon
Beirut
Beirut is the capital and largest city of Lebanon, with a population ranging from 1 million to more than 2 million . Located on a peninsula at the midpoint of Lebanon's Mediterranean coastline, it serves as the country's largest and main seaport, and also forms the Beirut Metropolitan...
, from 1961 to 1962; worked for John Brown University
John Brown University
The main campus in Northwest Arkansas has been the site of the university since it was founded in 1919. JBU has 2,183 students as of the 2011-2012 school year, 1,279 of which are traditional undergraduates. Of these, 878 live on campus. The Graduate School has 468 students...
, in Siloam Springs, Arkansas
Siloam Springs, Arkansas
Siloam Springs is a city in Benton County, Arkansas, United States. According to 2005 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city was 13,990...
from 1962 to 1963; and the Mason Woods Development, in St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
from 1966 to 1969. He fell ill with colon cancer
Colorectal cancer
Colorectal cancer, commonly known as bowel cancer, is a cancer caused by uncontrolled cell growth , in the colon, rectum, or vermiform appendix. Colorectal cancer is clinically distinct from anal cancer, which affects the anus....
and died at the Christian Science Sanatorium in San Francisco on April 11, 197134.
Annotated Bibliography
- Sturtevant, Butler. “Small English Stone Bridges,” Landscape Architecture, Oct. 1933, pp. 16–23. Article and photos on small bridges in England.
- Garden for Mrs. Frederick Remington Greene, Seattle, Wash., Country Life, Jan. 1936, pp. 31–33. Plan and photos of the Greene Garden overlooking Puget Sound.
- “Houses for Defense: Westpark, Bremerton, WA” Architectural Forum, Dec. 1941, pp. 410–416. Site plan and images of a military housing developmentSubdivision (land)Subdivision is the act of dividing land into pieces that are easier to sell or otherwise develop, usually via a plat. The former single piece as a whole is then known in the United States as a subdivision...
west of Seattle.
- The Special CollectionsSpecial collectionsIn library science, special collections is the name applied to a specific repository or department, usually within a library, which stores materials of a "special" nature, including rare books, archives, and collected manuscripts...
Division at the University of Washington, Seattle includes two drawings of Butchart Gardens Rose Garden and two sketches of the University of Washington Rainier Vista. In addition the extensive holdings at Principia College include correspondence, plans and sketches.
- Public Landscapes. Rose Garden, Butchart Gardens, Victoria, British Columbia
- Principia College, Elsah, Illinois: Campus Master Plan and all landscape-related projects from 1931 to 1969
- University of Washington Medicinal Herb Garden Anderson Hall Rainier Vista Drumheller Fountain
- Normandy Park Subdivision Master Plan, Normandy Park, WashingtonNormandy Park, WashingtonNormandy Park is a city in King County, Washington, United States. The population was 6,335 at the 2010 census.Based on per capita income, Normandy Park ranks 26th of 522 areas in the state of Washington.-History:...
with Bebb and Gould, Architects.
- Craig, Roger. Bernard Maybeck at Principia College. Layton, Utah: Gibbs-Smith Publishers, 2004. Pages 210, 216, 290, 293-95 309, 314, 331, 396, 462, 489.
- Dietz, Duane (chapter author). Butler Sturtevant. "Shaping Seattle Architecture: A Historical Guide to the Architects." University of Washington Press, 1994. Pages 234-239.
Footnotes
- 1 Mayflower Descendants webpage: www.mayflower.org;
- 2 ibid;
- 3 Butler Sturtevant 1931 resume, Principia College Archives;
- 4 ibid;
- 5 ibid;
- 6 1923 Harvard Student Directory, page 54;
- 7 Butler Sturtevant 1931 resume, Principia College Archives;
- 8 ibid;
- 9 ibid;
- 10 ibid;
- 11 1929 Polk's City Directory for Seattle;
- 12 1929 ink on linen drawing for Normandy Park subdivision, University of WashingtonUniversity of WashingtonUniversity of Washington is a public research university, founded in 1861 in Seattle, Washington, United States. The UW is the largest university in the Northwest and the oldest public university on the West Coast. The university has three campuses, with its largest campus in the University...
Libraries, Special Collections Division, UW13573; - 13 1929 ink on linen drawing for Butchart Gardens, University of Washington Libraries, Special Collections Division, UW13574;
- 14 1932 accounts receivableAccounts receivableAccounts receivable also known as Debtors, is money owed to a business by its clients and shown on its Balance Sheet as an asset...
ledger, J. Lister Holmes collection, University of Washington Libraries, Special Collections Division; - 15 “Development of Rainier Vista, University of Washington,” Architect & Engineer (July 1937): 25-28;
- 16 Collection of letters and drawings, Principia College;
- 17 Letter from Frederick MorganFrederick E. MorganLieutenant General Sir Frederick Edgeworth Morgan KCB was a British Army officer who fought in the First World War and the Second World War...
to Bernard Maybeck, Morgan Correspondence, Principia College; - 18 “Before and After – a Northwestern Garden Story: Garden for Mrs. Frederick Remington Greene, Seattle, Wash.,” Country Life (NY) (January 1936): 31-33.
- 19 1932 accounts receivable ledger, J. Lister Holmes collection, University of Washington Libraries, Special Collections Division;
- 20 Letter from Patterson to Sturtevant, Ambrose and Viola Patterson collection, University of Washington Libraries, Special Collections Division;
- 21 Letter from Sturtevant to Patterson, Ambrose and Viola Patterson collection, University of Washington Libraries, Special Collections Division;
- 22 Letters between Sturtevant and J. Lister Holmes, J. Lister Holmes collection, University of Washington Libraries, Special Collections Division;
- 23 ibid
- 24 ibid (letters to Holmes on Thomas ChurchThomas Dolliver ChurchThomas Dolliver Church , called "Dolliver" by his family and "Tommy" by his friends, was a landscape architect.- Life :...
Stationery) - 25 “Treasure Island Fair,” California Arts and Architecture (December 1936): 25;
- 26 Architect & Engineer magazine
- 27 Holmes, J. Lister “Yesler Terrace Housing,” Pencil Points: 684;
- 28 “Houses for Defense,” Architectural Forum (December 1941): 409-415, 427.
- 29 Butler Sturtevant 1955 resume, Principia College Archives;
- 30 ibid
- 31 ibid
- 32 ibid
- 33 Collection of letters and drawings, Principia College;
- 34 California Death certificateDeath certificateThe phrase death certificate can describe either a document issued by a medical practitioner certifying the deceased state of a person or popularly to a document issued by a person such as a registrar of vital statistics that declares the date, location and cause of a person's death as later...