James Earl Spangler, Jr. (Butch) passed away with his sister, Cathy, at his side at TMC in Denison, TX on March 4th, 2022. He was born July 25th, 1952, in Dallas, TX to James Earl Spangler and Velma Jean Backus Spangler. He is preceded in death by his husband, Ron Smith. He is survived by his sister, Cathy and her husband, Billy Gilbert, of Leonard and his sister, Dorothy Spangler Holt, also of Leonard, TX. He, also, leaves behind 2 stepbrothers, a stepsister and several nieces and nephews.
Butch was raised by his beloved “Uncle Dick and Aunt Cleo Price”. He grew up on a little farm west of Leonard with his sisters, Dorothy and Cathy. He loved to reminisce about all the good times he had growing up. There was no indoor bathroom, and the home was a little 4 room house but there were always room for friends and extended family. He considered himself a lucky man to have had such a loving home to grow up in.
He went to school in Leonard and graduated High School in 1970. After high school, he attended East Texas State University in Commerce, TX. He went on to serve his country in the US Air Force and was a disabled veteran. He lived and worked in Dallas, Tx most of his adult life. He worked for 20 years in retail clothing sales, then as a chef at an AIDS Resource Center until he retired.
After Butch’s dear husband Ron passed away in 2021, he moved back to his hometown of Leonard. Besides his family, what he treasured most was his precious cat “Cleo” and the time he spent with his lifelong friend Jacqui. Butch’s hobbies included gardening, reading, listening to classic rock, and watching old sitcoms on TV.
His family would like to extend their deepest gratitude to all the staff at TMC for the wonderful care he received the last week of his life. Also, a special thanks to all his friends and family that kept him in their prayers during his short illness. The family plans to have a memorial at a later date. His passing leaves a hole in the hearts of all who loved him that can never be filled.