James Butler
1944-2003
James R. Butler, 59, of Cincinnati, Ohio, formerly of Ashland, Ky., and recently retired from Ashland Inc., passed away Sunday, March 16, 2003, in St. Elizabeth's Hospital in Northern Kentucky, after a brief illness.
A native of Lawrence County, Ky., Mr. Butler was a graduate of Eastern Kentucky University and was elected to Eastern's Hall of Distinguished Alumni. He also served as captain in the U.S. Army and was a veteran of the Vietnam War.
He was born Feb. 8, 1944, in Louisa, Ky., and was a son of the late Raymond and Lexie Holton Butler.
He was also preceded in death by a brother, Donald Edward Butler.
Mr. Butler's career with Ashland began in 1970 as a salesman in Buffalo, N.Y. He later transferred to a sales assignment in St. Louis, Mo., after which he joined the company's Public Affairs group in Ashland in 1980. He served in positions of increasing responsibility before becoming manager of media relations and company spokesman in 1984.
In 1986, he joined Ashland's government relations group as a regional manager of State Government Relations in Bloomington, Minn., then later served as associate director of State Government Relations before being named to his retiring position, director, State and Local Government Relations, in 1994.
Active in civic and trade organizations, Mr. Butler had served as chairman of the general committee on State Relations of the American Petroleum Institute as well as being chairman of the Kentucky Chemical Council. He was on the executive committee of the Lawrence County Ohio Development Corp., was treasurer of the Covington, Ky., Business Council and served as a board member of Associated Industries of Kentucy and the Kentucky Retail Federation. He had recently been named to the Northern Kentucky Symphony Board.
Mr. Butler is survived by his stepmother, Elaine Butler of Louisa; his wife, Mary Lois Manley Butler of Cincinnati; a daughter, Lexie (Jeff) Centers of Hazard, Ky.; and grandson, Jaron Butler Centers of Hazard.
The funeral will be held at 11 a.m. Tuesday, March 18, 2003, at First United Methodist Church in Ashland by Dr. George Phillips, the Rev. Ray Gaines and the Rev. Dale Carden. Burial will be in Greenlawn Cemetery in Louisa.
Friends may call from 4 to 8 tonight, March 17, 2003, at Steen Funeral Home-Marshall Steen Chapel in Ashland.
Memorials may be made to Anderson Hills United Methodist Church, 7515 Forest Road, Cincinnati, Ohio 45255, or Sherman Full Gospel Church, 2090 Fords Mill Road, Dry Ridge, Ky. 41035, or First United Methodist Church, 1811 Carter Ave., Ashland, Ky. 41101.
Condolences may be made to www.steenfuneralhomes.com.
