Obituary of James Butler

Dr. James Butler, 74, of Idabel, passed away June 18, 2017 at his home. James was born November 11, 1942. He was preceded in death by his parents, Malcolm and Lucille Butler, and his daughter, Natalie Brewster. He leaves to cherish his memory his wife of 36 years, Debbie Butler, of the home and his children: Dr. Trey Butler and wife Cynthia, of Joplin, Missouri; Jamie Gruber and husband Paul, of Lawrenceville, Georgia and Amber Payne and husband Brett of Owasso, Oklahoma. He is survived by 11 grandchildren and his brothers Malcolm, Jr. and Patsy Butler of Idabel, and Roger and Shirley Butler of Idabel. He also had numerous nieces and nephews, and a host of cousins and friends. Dr. Butler had been an Optometrist in Idabel for over 40 years. He loved his work and spent much time and effort taking care of his patients. He was especially generous to those who were economically disadvantaged throughout his entire career. He was always willing to donate generously to community activities. One of his favorite things to do in the community was buy many tickets when the circus came to town each year and give to those who would otherwise not be able to attend. In his early years, Dr. Butler enjoyed coaching Little League baseball. He was a member of the First United Methodist Church of Idabel, where he and his wife, Debbie, were youth leaders for MYF for four years. He was also a member of the Idabel Country Club Board of Directors for several years and was an avid golfer. He was proud of his Choctaw heritage and the fact that he was a descendent of two Choctaw Chiefs. A Celebration of Life service is scheduled for Thursday, June 22, at 2:00 pm at the First United Methodist Church in Idabel. Family visitation will take place from 6-7 pm Wednesday evening in the family home. In lieu of flowers, the family wishes for any donations to be made to the American Cancer Society at www.cancer.org or to the local animal shelter Animal Rescue and Kare ( ARK) at www.arkofmccurtaincounty.org