Mrs. Hazel Kathleen Lee Butler, 87, died Sunday, June 24, 2018, at her residence.
Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. on Wednesday, June 27, at First Presbyterian Church in Fitzgerald. The Revs. Steve O’Neal and Hallock Martin and Pastor Greg Carroll will officiate. Interment will be at Evergreen Cemetery. Visitation will be Tuesday, June 26, from 6-8 p.m. at Paulk Funeral Home.
Mrs. Butler was born in Terrell County on June 28, 1930, to the late Aubrey and Wilma Lee. She was preceded in death by her husband, G.B. Butler Jr., who died in 1993, and her siblings, Aubrey “Buck” Lee, Donald Lee, James Lee and Gail Raynor.
Her family moved to Ben Hill County with her grandfather, J.W.F. Lee, when she was 2 or 3 years old. A 1947 graduate of Fitzgerald High School, she met her future husband while putting in tobacco on the farm of his sister, Jenny Lewis, in the summer of 1946. They were married on December 24, 1947, at the Wilcox County Courthouse in Abbeville.
After working briefly at H.R. Kaminsky & Sons, Mrs. Butler became secretary/bookkeeper for David Sims, first at Surratt-Sims Lumber Company, then at Roanoke Construction Company. She was closely involved in the industrial recruitment efforts of Mr. Sims, Clayton Jay and Gerald Thompson, serving as executive secretary of Forward Fitzgerald and similar entities that helped to bring Delco-Remy and other industries to the city in the 1970s.
When Mr. Sims became a partner in Link Realty in 1974, she obtained her real estate license and later her broker’s license. She enjoyed working with people, whether they were buying, selling or building a home, until she retired in 2016. She was honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award by the Tiftarea Board of Realtors recognizing her for over 40 years of service. The Board also bestowed a lifetime membership upon her. She was a member of First Presbyterian Church, which she had attended since shortly after her marriage, and had served as an elder and as treasurer. Mrs. Butler was also a member of the Georgia Native Plant Society and a past member of the Pilot Club of Fitzgerald.
A woman of strong faith, she read Bible stories to her children every night when they were small and never had the heart to say no when they asked her for another one. Her love of reading began in her own childhood with “Heidi” and “Rainbow Trail,” and she loved to share her books with friends. She was always curious about things and loved to explore new places, near and far, and learn new things. She found beauty everywhere and celebrated it, in birds, wildflowers, woodland scenes, a sunny sky or a sunset through bare trees. She was blessed with a thankful heart.
Survivors include: son, Stephen Butler of Fitzgerald; daughter, Sherri Butler of Fitzgerald; brother, Tom (Prahnee) Lee of Carrollton, and many cherished cousins, including two who were like grandchildren to her, Clifford Dix of Atlanta and Cathy Seevers of Nicholasville, Ky.
Mrs. Butler loved flowers and flowers will be gratefully accepted. Memorial donations may be made to First Presbyterian Church, P.O. Box 97, Fitzgerald, Ga 31750.