Alma Jean Butler

June 19, 1946 - September 5, 2024

Jean Butler passed away peacefully at home on Thursday, September 5, 2024, attended by her loving husband of almost 61 years, Jerry Butler, her son Alan Butler, her daughter-in-law Amber Butler, her grandson Nathan Butler, and her "baby," Buddy the dog. Jean is also survived by her "North Carolina family," Elizabeth "Betty" & Haskel Roberson, Mary & Ronald Ledford, Trent Ledford, and Hope Ledford. Also surviving are her brother, Alvin "Rex" Moss, and sister-in-law who was closer than her actual sisters, Lynn Moss, of Daytona, Florida. She was well loved by most of her family and all of her friends, many of whom were chosen family, who are too numerous to list in an obituary. To know Jean was to love Jean, and she was one of the kindest and most giving people you will ever meet - often to her own detriment.

Jean was preceded in death by her parents, Alvin Moss and Leila Mae Moss, and her first daughter-in-law, Veronica Butler.

Over the decades, Jean worked at Sands Vending Company with her own route, as a hairdresser until she discovered she was allergic to the chemicals, as a safety officer at Western Express and Transport South, on the line at a bakery, and then as a manager at Sally's Beauty Supply. She was well versed and adaptable, which were traits that served her well in her entire life.

Jean was a strong woman who valiantly fought Parkinson's Disease for 17 years. She became more and more convinced of Romans 8:28 as the disease raged forward. Jean wanted everyone with Parkinson's Disease to know that CBD oil and medical marijuana THC oil are the most effective treatments that exist, and they allowed her to stay in stage 3 almost until the end of her life. Even when she slipped straight past stage 4 into stage 5 during the last 2 months of her life, the medical marijuana THC oil allowed her to stay on her feet, even if only minimally, until the last few days of her life. When her legs would draw up and be completely locked into place, causing intense pain for her, we could visibly see them relax just minutes after using the medical marijuana THC oil so that she could use her legs again and her pain was relieved. We only wish that we had discovered this treatment sooner, so that perhaps she would never have reached even stage 3.

Wanting to spread that information to help others also goes right along with who Jean was as a person. Jean was worried about everyone else all the way until her dying breath. She wanted to make sure her family was okay and had made peace with her death before she left this earth. She made her daughter-in-law, Amber, promise to take care of her husband Jerry, son Alan, grandson Nathan, and baby Buddy.

We choose to remember Jean as the woman who loved God and loved her church, Chapel Hill Road Baptist Church, so much that she was devastated when the risk of falling due to Parkinson's Disease made it too dangerous to attend, but who watched every service on Facebook with joy. She gleefully sent cakes and flowers to her family and friends whenever the notion struck her, and people would be surprised when suddenly a meal was delivered to their doorstep. She grinned from ear to ear, knowing the recipient felt loved, when they told her "Jean, you shouldn't have!" Jean was the woman who always jumped up and ran to the door or window to watch her beloved Jerry as he cut grass and worked outside, worried that he would be injured or overdo it. She was the woman who happily spent her hard-earned retirement watching Andy Griffith with Nathan, wrestling with Alan (even though she confessed to Amber that she didn't care for wrestling, but she watched it to spend more time with Alan), and Everybody Loves Raymond by herself. She said she hated that they argued on the show, but she still watched it repeatedly until her last days because it kept her laughing. We remember the woman who said she and Amber were Thelma and Louise, and who wanted to buy a rig and drive across the country, seeing America, even though her body would not cooperate. Jean always said that when it was her time, she wanted a cup of coffee at every corner of her casket. She also didn't believe in wearing anything but pajamas at home, sometimes even when company was coming since her company was family whether blood-related or not, so she will be buried in her nightgown that her best sister friend, Betty, gave her just before she passed away. Those of you who will be attending the services, please do not dress up. Blue jeans and t-shirts are fine. Jean wanted her funeral to be a private, casual event where people relaxed and didn't cry too much.

As requested by Jean, the visitation, funeral, and burial will be private, by invitation only. If you believe you may have been overlooked and would like to attend, please call the Butler home and speak to Amber to request the details. We apologize in advance for anyone we may forget in our grief and the chaos of these last few weeks. Services will be conducted by Reverend James Pitts. Pallbearers will be Nathan Butler, Don Mason, Rusty Odom, Courtney Lunsford, Ronald Ledford, Seth Cain, Jason Singleton, and Jon Ellis. Honorary pallbearers will be Haskel Roberson, Steve Odom, John Gray, and Matthew Beasley.

In lieu of flowers, Jean would love it if you made donations to Chapel Hill Road Baptist Church, 4391 Chapel Hill Road, Douglasville, GA 30135.

You may share your thoughts and condolences online at www.hightowersmemorial.com.

Hightower's Memorial Chapel of Douglasville has charge of the arrangements.