Honorable Discharge Funeral Memorial Service

Hello My name is Carla and I would like to share a little about my husband and why I am requesting help.

On April 5th, 2022, my husband Clarence Butner Jr. passed away in his sleep unexpectedly. He

served in the Army for 8yrs and was Honorably Discharged. He was a foot soldier in Desert

Storm and received many commendations. He Spoke often of his time serving our country

and the skills he gained serving in the military. We are very proud of his service to his country

and Clarence spoke proudly of his Military Career.

After serving his country for 8yrs, he continued to work with people and became a volunteer at the local YMCA in Denver Colorado. He coached basketball for ages 5yrs and up for 8

years. He loved Coaching Basketball and would mentor anyone that needed help.

Clarence enjoyed serving and helping others by helping them enjoy the small gifts he loved.

He would light up on the court and you could feel his passion for the game as much as

you could feel his enjoyment watching the kids learn and development lifelong skills playing as a

team and working together.

My husband was a people person. Many will tell you his smile would light up a room and

brighten your day. He treated the janitor the same as the CEO and would listen to anyone who

needed it no matter how silly.

Our Son and Daughter did not get to say goodbye to their father because we always thought we had time and they live in other parts of the country.

Our Son is currently serving in the Navy and stationed out of the Country. He followed in his father's steps serving our Country and that has made us both enormously proud. Clarence made it his mission from day one to serve others and to give whatever he had no matter how little it was to those in need and gave those same values to children.

This page was delayed in being created because we thought the VA would assist to help give

my husband, a loving father and a great friend to many, the funeral/memorial he deserves, and

honor his memory as best as we can.

My husband always believed that the VA had him covered and come to find out after several weeks of doing what I thought was considered taking the proper steps and getting directed in the wrong direction, not receiving call backs, I finally walked into the Va in Colorado at the Colfax center, that the only thing they would help with was to allow his final resting place to be in the National cemetery and request the Presidential Award. NO other assistance in any funeral cost let alone any help associated to get him back home to Chicago from the VA. The reason given was because my husband never opened any case with them for any type of disability, mental issues, or physical issues though he struggled with PTSD. My Husband felt there were others that were more in need and that he was strong enough to keep fighting. I was very shocked to learn the information I was given.

So now we ask that you please consider helping to donate. He was the family man who took care of us and now we are tasked with making sure we can get him back to his hometown of Chicago Illinois.

We are hoping to raise enough by May 5, 2022, to cover the cost and expenses related to his service and related to shipping his memorable items to be with our son out of the country and our daughter who lives in a different state.

We have donated all his clothing to shelters, furniture and dishes to the needy as we feel this is

how Clarence would have wanted it. My husband didn’t have much and was a very humble

person. I was able to donate his books to the library and only keep a few items that I know his

son would treasure. Clarence was a giver, and this was a good thing to do in his honor. He

worked two jobs to support our family and now he is gone. His death came as a shock, and he

still had so much life to give.

Clarence would have been 55 years old this year. We are heartbroken and at a loss that a man who gave so much his entire life and never took from anyone could be abandoned thinking his family would be covered when he passed only to find out that he is not entitled to any benefits as a 2-term vet serving in Desert Storm.

At this time, we are only asking to lay him to rest and to give him peace.

Thank you so much for your consideration to help a United States Veteran and his family.

I am not giving up hope on VA but at this moment we need help.

Thank you in advance for your support

The Butner Family