He was born in Jefferson City to Walter Edward and Opal Edith Matthews Butler. He was married on August 24, 1961 in St. Louis to Barbara who survives at the home. Other survivors include two daughters, Lisa L. Allen, San Marcos, California; and Juli L. Butler, Seattle, Washington; two grandsons, Tyler Allen and Eric Allen, both of San Marcos, California; and a sister, Jean Beller, St. Louis. He served as Superintendent of Schools for the Cole R-5 and R-3 school districts, and owned and operated Butler Water Conditioning Company in Jefferson City for thirty years. He was a forty-one year member of the Jefferson City Noon Lions; was coordinator for the annual Missouri Lions East-West Football games; and was a referee for the Missouri State Athletic Association. Memorials are suggested to the L.J. Tyric Education Fund for his grandchildren, P.O. Box 1143, Jefferson City, MO 65102. He was a 1951 graduate of Jefferson City High School; a 1956 graduate of the University of Arkansas where he played on the varsity basketball team; and received the Master of Science in Education degree from the University of Arkansas in 1959 where he coached the freshman basketball team while doing graduate work.