Judge Butler

Judge William R. "Bill" Butler, 80, retired Little Rock Attorney and Judge, died on December 25, 2008. Judge Butler was born in Bonham, Texas on August 19, 1928, son of Herbert Ray Butler and Mary Lou (Garrett) Butler.
In 1939, Bill moved with his parents to Turkey, Texas where they ran a large family farm. In 1942, he won the Texas High School District Championships in both Singles and Doubles Tennis. After two bad drought years in West Texas and losing all their crops, Bill and his parents moved to North Little Rock, Arkansas in 1943 when he was 15 years old, where his father went to work for the Missouri Pacific Railroad.
Bill graduated from North Little Rock High School in 1945. On the day WWII ended in 1946, at the age of 17, he moved to Amarillo, Texas to work for the Western Electric Company. Within just a few months, he was transferred to Odessa, Texas to convert Western Electric's entire telephone system from manual to dial.
In January 1948, Bill's parents convinced him to come back to Arkansas and, together, they purchased a Texaco Service Station at 6th & Cumberland Streets. In 1949, they bought the first of several parking lots, which they ran in conjunction with the Texaco Station.
In January 1950, Bill joined the Marine Corps Reserve, and in June transferred to the Army Reserve. In September, his Army Reserve Unit was called to active duty and he was stationed at Fort Hood in Belton, Texas. In November 1950 he met Connie Mae Brannon, a senior student at Mary Hardin Baylor. They were married March 21, 1951 and later had two daughters, Beverly and Barbara Butler.
In September 1952, Bill started college at what is now UALR, and he entered Arkansas Law School in 1957. In 1959 and 1960, he served as an Arkansas Supreme Court Law Clerk for Justice Paul Ward until he took the Bar Exam and was admitted to practice Law in April 1960.
While in Law School in 1958, Bill took flying lessons and received his private license, followed by instrument rating, commercial license, and multi-engine license. Throughout the following years he owned a fleet of private planes including a Luscam 85, Cessna 170, Beechcraft Sierra, 235 Cherokee, and twin-engine Cessnas. As an attorney licensed to practice before the Supreme Court, Bill would fly throughout the country to attend depositions, briefings and trials. His love of flying brought him many opportunities, including serving as President of the Arkansas Aero Club for many years and flying his family all over the country.
Bill joined the Arkansas State Attorney General's Office in 1960 as Deputy Attorney General. In 1961 he joined the Prosecuting Attorney's Office and served as Deputy Prosecuting Attorney for the next five years. In 1966 he went into private law practice with Omar Greene, later joined by Arkansas Supreme Court Justice Conley Byrd, Philip Ragsdale and Jim Sloane.
In 1968 Bill was elected to his first term as Little Rock Municipal Judge. He served four terms (16 years) until he stepped down from the Bench on December 31, 1984. He later worked for the Madden Law Firm and served as Legal Counsel for Wal*Mart, specializing in land acquisitions and permitting to build new megastores.
In 1952 Bill became a 32nd Degree Mason and joined the Shriners in 1953. He served as Motor Patrol President for 3 years, and formed the Provost Marshall's Unit where he served as Provost Marshall for the Scimitar Temple for four years. He was appointed to Outer Guard Shrine Divan where he served for nine years. In 1987 he was elected Potentate.
Judge Butler retired in 2002, at which time he moved to live on the Little Red River in Pangburn, Arkansas. He lived there until he moved back to Little Rock in 2007.
Bill was married to Connie Mae (Brannon) Butler from 1951 to 1972 and to Jean (Drake) Butler from 1973 to 1988.
Judge Butler is survived by his daughter Barbara Butler of Calais, Vermont; two granddaughters, Kristen Sherman of Conway, Arkansas and Mandy Robinson of Leesburg, Virginia; and nine great-grandchildren. He is also survived by an estranged daughter, Beverly Butler.
Memorial contributions may be made in Judge William R. Butler's name to Shriners Hospital for Children, 3100 Samford Avenue, Shreveport, LA 71103.
A Service will be held for Judge Butler at 2:00 p.m. on Monday, December 29, 2008 at Little Rock Funeral Home, 8801 Knoedl Court (NW corner I-630 and Barrow Rd.), Little Rock, officiated by Evangelist Ester Jackson.
Arrangements by Little Rock Funeral Home, (501)224-2200. Judge Butler's online guestbook is available at www.littlerockfuneralhome.com.