Leverett Belton Butts, III, age 77 of Villa Rica, passed away suddenly, but peacefully on June 28, 2021. He was born April 5, 1944 in Greenville, Georgia, son of Charlotte Elizabeth Turner Butts and the late Leverett Belton Butts, Jr.

An avid history buff, he earned his Master’s Degree in Criminal Justice from the University of Phoenix, as well as a law degree from Atlanta Law School. He was a member of the Hapeville Masonic Lodge # 590 F&AM for almost 50 years. He has been a Professor of Criminal Justice with West Georgia Technical College for more than 12 years, and previous to that served 31 years as a police officer with the City of Hapeville, where the last 6 years of his tenure he was the Chief.

In addition to his father, he is preceded in death by his wife, Chandra Sue Butts; and sisters, Annie Lavonia Butts and Mildred Pitman Butts. He is survived by his mother, Charlotte Elizabeth Butts; his children, Henry Butts, Dr. Leverett Butts, IV, wife Tina, John and Dixie Butts, Marguerite and Joel Crawford, and Marcus James Leming; sister and brother-in-law, Dr. Richard and Elizabeth Bruner; and grandchildren, Jennifer Sharon, Rachel Butts, Jacob Butts, David Butts, Jacob Vinson, Victoria Crawford, John Crawford, Madison Leming, Alexander Leming; in addition to five great grandchildren.

Family was and always has been very important to Leverett, or “Tarzie” as he was affectionately known as by his mother and family. Every once in a while, we’d still have to call him by his retired radio number of “126,” just to make sure he was still paying attention. He loved and valued his family very much. Funeral service will be conducted Tuesday, July 6, 2021 at 1:00 PM from Martin & Hightower Heritage Chapel.

Interment will be conducted in Warms Springs City Cemetery at 4:00 PM with Leverett Butts IV, Joel Crawford, Jake Vinson, Marcus James Leming, John Butts, and Zachery Akers serving as pallbearers. Police honors will be rendered by the Hapeville Police Department.

The family will receive friends at the funeral home from 11:00 AM until the hour of service. For those who wish to send flowers, the family asks that you send perennial potted plants for a memorial garden, in lieu of cut flowers.

If you wish to make a memorial donation, Leverett was a passionate supporter of the West Georgia Technical College Foundation, in support of scholarships, books, and other ways to help students achieve academic success and their goals, ( www.westgatech.edu/giving/ ) as well as the Masonic Home of Georgia located in Macon, Georgia (www.masonichomeofgeorgia.com .) 

Messages of condolences can be sent to the family at www.martin-hightower.com. Martin and Hightower Heritage Chapel has charge of the arrangements.