Mr. Howard Lamar Butcher Obituary - Visitation & Funeral Information

Howard Lamar Butcher, 71, of Nesbit, Mississippi, passed away on February 22, 2018. He was born on June 16, 1946, in DeWitt, Arkansas. He grew up in a small farming community and attended high school in St. Charles near the banks of the White River. Those years allowed him to meet the love of his life, Peggy Lou Horton, of Ethel, Arkansas, with whom he shared 51 years of love, marriage, family and service to many. At the encouragement of his high school coach and life-long mentor, Dr. Kellar Noggle, Howard earned his Certificate of Technical Education in Architectural Drafting from the Pines Vo-Tech School in Pine Bluff, Arkansas in 1966. After job searching in nearby Little Rock and Louisiana, he landed a job in Memphis with Ralph Jones, an architect who became a life-long friend that treated him like the brother neither of them ever had. He stayed 20 years until he decided to take the entrepreneurial plunge and open his own office in Southaven. Howard loved designing custom-built homes and faithfully served the residents of DeSoto County and beyond for 30 years. Howard and Peggy made their home in the Colonial Hills subdivision of Southaven, Mississippi and spent many happy and fulfilling years there. The friendships and ministries they developed during those years were very dear to him. His passion was in loving, giving, serving and praying for his family and friends. He was an avid Razorback fan who loved watching his kids and grandkids play sports. He was always up for a little hunting or fishing with his boys as well as the good food that usually followed. Howard took great pleasure in studying and sharing the truth found in God's Word with others. He spent the majority of his adult life serving His Lord and the church as deacon, Sunday School teacher, and on various building and finance committees. Howard also ministered to many youth boys over his lifetime both on and off the basketball court. He was even a one-time songwriter and a poet. His silly humor and laughter, loving hugs, gentle manner, humility, engaging demeanor, and heartfelt prayer support will be greatly missed by all who knew and loved him. He is preceded in death by his parents, Leslie Lamar Butcher and Alice Faye Ingram. He is survived by his wife, Peggy Lou Horton Butcher of Nesbit; children, Leslie Carr (Phillip) of Water Valley, Cindy Lamb (Joe) of Senatobia; Dick Butcher of Senatobia; and Dean Butcher of Olive Branch; mother-in-law, Alice Horton of DeWitt; sister, Janette Poe of Little Rock; brother-in-law, Charles Horton, Jr. (Dana) of DeWitt; grandchildren, Destiny Smith (Daniel), Sean Lamb, Tressa Lamb, Hannah Burton (Ricks), Reid Butcher, Emily Carr, Abby Butcher, Nathan Lamb, and Tate Butcher; great-grandchildren, Carson Smith and Cohen Smith; nieces, Julie Caldwell (Joe) and Jessica Johnson (Trevon); nephews, Neal Poe, Heath Horton and Warren Horton. Let it be said that Howard loved and lived well. He also fought a good fight against the cancer that invaded his body. We know that he is with our Lord experiencing all the glories of heaven even now and look forward to seeing him again one day. Funeral services will be 2:00 p.m. Sunday, February 25th at Essex Funeral Home. Visitation will be held from 1:00 to 2:00. Burial will follow in Mt. Pleasant Cemetery. On Monday, February 26, visitation will be held from 5:30 to 7:30pm at Carriage Hills Baptist Church, 8352 Farmington Drive West in Southaven, MS. A memorial service will commence at 6:30 with visitation resuming afterwards. Memorials may be made to Love Community Baptist Church, P.O. Box 521, Hernando, MS 3632.

Mr. Howard Lamar Butcher

June 16, 1946 - February 22, 2018