"Butch" Forton

Butch never wanted to be in the spotlight; he just wanted to enjoy his life and help others do the same. Always seizing the opportunity to bring laughter and fun into the world, Butch was a man well-liked and loved by all who knew him.

In the summer of 1928, the Olympics were making headline news. Over 3,000 athletes from around the world gathered in Amsterdam, The Netherlands to compete. During the opening ceremony, the lighting of the Olympic flame became part of this world-wide sporting event for the first time. In the end, the United States took home not only the greatest number of medals, but the greatest number of gold medals as well.

Just a month after the closing ceremonies, Leonard O. “Butch” Forton was born in St. Clair Shores, Michigan. His parents, Edward and Viola (Champine) Forton, welcomed Butch as the last of their seven children on September 8, 1928. Little did they know that the Olympics, in a way, foreshadowed their son’s love of sports. Butch grew up adoring games like hockey, which he played with the neighbor kids on ice rinks not far from his home.

Butch loved all sports to be sure, though as he grew older he began to favor baseball and basketball. Unfortunately Butch’s father died when Butch was just seven years old, and therefore didn’t get to watch his youngest son become captain of the South Lake High basketball team. With seven children to care for by herself, it was not easy for Butch’s mother to cheer him on either. Viola worked tirelessly to provide for her children, working as both a waitress and housekeeper. Shortly after Butch graduated from South Lake High School in 1947, his mother passed away. Losing both of his parents so early in life was certainly not easy for Butch, but with the support of his brothers and sisters he kept a positive attitude. In fact, Butch was known as the practical joker among his siblings. He liked to lovingly “torment” his sisters with his silliness most of all.

But it wasn’t long before Butch turned his attention to another girl – an attractive young lady who worked as a waitress at the local soda shop. Her name was Evelyn Yearkey, and every time she waited on Butch he would ask for white house cherry ice cream, knowing full well that the soda shop did not carry this flavor. Evelyn, amused by Butch’s sense of humor and persistence, agreed to let him walk her home one evening. After that first walk home Butch began walking Evelyn home every night after work. Eventually, he also took her out dancing at The Ballroom in Detroit. It was Evelyn’s first time ever going out to such a fancy place, and the fact that Butch had taken her there made her feel quite special. Butch proved himself to be a great dancer that night, but more than that, he proved himself to be the man meant to spend his life with Evelyn. They married on October 21, 1949 at the Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Roseville and were together from that day onward.

To earn a living, Butch worked as a tool and die maker for Chrysler Corporation. He was also a Marine reservist. In 1951, at the beginning of the Korean Conflict, Butch was called into action. Thankfully he remained unharmed, and after serving three years he was discharged as a corporal and returned home. He and Evelyn decided to settle in Mt. Clemens, where Butch continued his work as a tool and die maker for Arco Corporation.

As Butch and Evelyn settled into their new home, they knew that they wanted children. They were incredibly happy when their adopted five year old twins, Kathy and Keith, became part of their family in 1966. They later adopted baby Sharon in 1969. All three of the children turned out to be the best kids Butch and Evelyn could have asked for. They both felt incredibly blessed. Butch loved taking the kids fishing in the family’s 25 ft. Cabin Cruiser that docked along the canal in Mt. Clemens. Butch also took his family on a memorable trip out West, exploring Mt. Rushmore, Yellowstone Park, and the Grand Canyon.

For Butch, any moments spent in the company of his family was time well spent. He looked forward to times when the entire family could be together, whether it was a picnic, a party, or a holiday gathering. No matter what the occasion, Butch could usually be found with is brother, George. They did everything together, including dance polka. They could polka all night long – and did. They also loved to play horseshoes for hours until dark, then go inside to for a game of Euchre or Pinochle. They were into golf, bowling, and pool as well. Really Butch would eagerly take up any sport he could find, always enjoying a nice cold brew when the occasion was right. He and George's favorite teams to watch were the Red Wings and the Tigers. It was quite the understatement to say that Butch was a Tigers fan - he had team pennants from 1947 and the 1968 world series championship team.

In 1973 Butch moved his family to Baldwin, where he bought the Sportsman Bar. He began sponsoring a slow-pitch softball team, which he and his son Keith played on together. Butch was the pitcher for the team, and was the best in the league. By 1974 Butch and his family had moved to the Round Lake area of Fountain. They continued to operate the Sportsman Bar for a total of ten years, at which time Butch sold the bar and began working as a butcher for Schoenberger’s Market in Scottville.

He often spent his free time remodeling, landscaping, or building additions to the family home, always looking for ways to improve the appearance. Butch also continued to spend much of his free time with his brother and best friend, George. They, together with their good friend, Dick Dysard, were known as “The Three Musketeers.” They loved to make light of life and have a good time, whether it was with sports or just good talk. Butch was endowed with a great sense of humor, as well as an ability to make others laugh. He had all sorts of goofy sayings and songs, like his own twist of an old George Jones’s song, “She Said I’ll Hate You Till I Die.”

After retiring in 1995, Butch and Evelyn moved to Bradenton, Florida. Butch, never one to be idle, promptly found himself not one, but two jobs, working as a truck driver for Frito-Lay and as a stock keeper for Honeywell Corporation. While in Florida, Butch and Evelyn loved to begin each day by driving to the beach. They would spend a quiet morning together, watching the dolphins and feeding the squirrels. Butch enjoyed being around the animals, and even got the squirrels to come up on his lap to eat from his hand. Butch continued to enjoy the beauty of Bradenton and work both his jobs until January of 2005, at which time his health began to fail. Though his illness was intense, Butch made it his mission to return to Michigan with Evelyn. His spirit and love for Evelyn kept him going and he was determined to care for his wife to the end. Butch packed their belongings with the help of his son-in-law Scott and all of his neighbors. They all wanted to show their support for Butch. When he and Evelyn left Bradenton, all of their friends made point of waving goodbye, stopping whatever they were doing to send them off. Hearing Butch and Evelyn’s inspiring story, the nurses at St. Mary’s Hospital in Grand Rapids nicknamed Butch “Mission Man.”

Butch died four days after arriving in Michigan, on Friday, March 18, 2005. He died just as he would have wished, surrounded by the love of his life, Evelyn, and their three adoring children. They will always remember Butch and the wonderful laughter, joy, and memories he brought to their lives.

Butch was preceded in death by his parents, his brothers George, Thomas, and Edward, and his sister Virginia Oleson Cussman. He will be deeply missed by his wife of 55 years Evelyn, his children Kathy Rockwell and Keith (Tracey) Forton of Custer, and Sharon (Scott) Bowerman of Grand Rapids, his grandchildren Vincent, Jessica, and Erik Rockwell, Brienna Bowerman, Aaron White, and Brooke Forton, his brother Carl (Pat) Forton of St. Helen, Michigan, his sister Shirley Klinefelter of Custer, and many nieces and nephews.

The Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 11:00 a.m. on Tuesday, March 22 at the St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Custer with Reverend Isidro Gargantiel as celebrant. Burial will take place at St. Mary’s Cemetery in Custer. Friends may meet with Butch’s family for a time of visitation on Monday from 2-4 and 7-9 p.m. at the Stephens Life Story Funeral Home® in Scottville. The Rosary will be prayed for Butch at 8:00 p.m. on Monday evening at the funeral home. Please visit Butch’s personal memory page at www.lifestorynet.com to read his complete Life Story, share a memory with his family, or make a memorial contribution to either the Knights of Columbus, or Cancer Research.