On July 27th, 1952, Harriet Elizabeth McCarell Butler and Robert Lee Butler welcomed the birth of their second son Sammy Mack. His arrival was preceded by the birth and shortly thereafter the death of his brother, Robert Lee Butler Jr. Sammy was a long-awaited and much treasured third member of this nuclear, close-knit family which formed the center of his life until the deaths of his parents. Sammy was intensely loyal to them and to the memory of his brother. In later years his Church family became a substitute for the loss of his parents.
Despite physical challenges stemming from his premature birth and autism, Sammy became a dedicated student earning both bachelor’s and master’s degrees in math after which he went on to work as a data analyst for various government agencies at the Arsenal in Huntsville. A stellar work ethic and persistence lead to a lifetime of appreciated work and independence.
Raised by his Baptist and Primitive Baptist parents to have an unwavering religious faith, he developed a strong moral compass which manifested in his work at the First Baptist Church, the Gideons and the Civitans. He told me many times that what he missed most was delivering meals on wheels.
Although he had few interests, those he had were a strong focus of his attention. Sammy loved playing the flute in high school and the trip with his band to the Rose Bowl was a peak life experience and was one he talked about the rest of his life. Interestingly the primary item he requested to be brought to him at Millennium Rehabilitation Center where he spent the last year of his life was his flute. As a little boy he became obsessed with my recording of Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata. During a family visit he would play it repeatedly to my annoyance as a teenager, but that experience seemed to launch a lifelong interest in classical music centering on the works of Beethoven and his favorite Orff’s Carmina Burana.
Anyone who knew Sammy well has experienced his strong will. When he made a decision, he was very hard to redirect. Just a few months ago I got a call from him as he was trying to get into his condo. He had managed to leave Millennium Rehabilitation Center without telling staff and called Visiting Angels to transport him because he was determined to check on his condo. Of course, he had no keys and was asking for my help long distance to the horror of the transport person who quickly drove him back to the Center. Last summer Sammy abruptly decided to stop paying the bill for his care, a determination which lasted over six months. I am truly thankful to Seventh Day Adventists and staff at Millenium for their patience and devoted care he continued to receive during this time.
Goodbye dear Sammy. You will be remembered for your work ethic, dedication to the charities you served, delight in Jeopardy, music, and football games, love for your family, attachment to your Church family and devotion to your religion. May you be rocked in the bosom of Abraham surrounded by Jesus and his angels, your gentle mother, kind father and brother. I love you.
Linn LaClave, Cousin of Sammy Mack Butler
A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. on Monday, February 17, 2025, at First Baptist Chapel, Huntsville.
