Alistair Porter, known as Mike, was walking dogs with his brother near Bradford-on-Avon in Wiltshire when they were crushed by the animals.
The father-of-two, a former lecturer at Edinburgh University, was pronounced dead at the scene, the BBC reported.
Brother John, 72, was left fighting for life with a collapsed lung and broken ribs.
Porter's family said: "We are in shock and devastated by the loss of our lovely Mike.
Also Read
It was the fourth time in just five years that cows had injured walkers in the field at Turleigh, Wilts.
John's wife Mary, 77, witnessed the terrifying incident but escaped unharmed.
The trio were walking along a public footpath which is a popular cut-through for ramblers.
Michael, a recently retired senior lecturer at the Centre for Population Health Sciences at Edinburgh University, suffered chest injuries on his son's 31st birthday.
A family friend said: "They are all devastated and we're in complete shock. This is a terrible tragedy."
A sign near the site of the horror attack warned walkers to keep dogs on leads and stay on the footpath.