VALLEY — Mr. Robert Kris Butler, 68, of Valley, Ala. passed away on Sunday, June 3, 2018 at his home.

Funeral services will be held on Wednesday, June 6, 2018, at 2 p.m. EDT (1 p.m. Central) at the Johnson Brown-Service Funeral Home Chapel in Valley with the Rev. Richard M. Smith and the Rev. Msgr. William J. Skoneki officiating. Interment will follow at Resthaven Memorial Gardens in Lanett.

The family will receive friends Wednesday afternoon from 1 p.m. (12 p.m. Central) until the service hour at the funeral home. A memorial mass will be held on Thursday, June 7, 2018, at 12 p.m. EDT (11 a,m, Central) at Saint Michael the Archangel Catholic Church in Auburn, Ala. with the Rev. Msgr. William J. Skoneki officiating. All are welcome to any and all services.

Kris is survived by his wife, Beverly Senger; his daughters, Ashley Butler of Opelika, Ala., and Zaneta (Scott) Daigle of Birmingham, Ala,; his grandchildren, Cecilia Daigle and Julia Daigle of Birmingham; his sister, Sherrell B. (Rev. Richard M.) Smith of LaFayette, Ala.; his nephews Ric Smith and Todd Smith; niece, Kathryn (Lee) Adams; his great and great-great nieces and nephews, Michael Sanders, Annalea (Joey) Smallwood, Kelsey Smith, Savannah Adams, Emily Sanders, and Levi Andrews; and many extended family members and friends, including his dear friend, Mr. Bill Gilbert of Valley. He was predeceased by his parents, Robert C. Butler and Doris Virginia Butler of Valley.

Born on January 5, 1950, in Langdale, AL, Kris grew up in Shawmut, AL. He was a longtime member of the First Baptist Church of Shawmut and a current member of Saint Michael the Archangel Catholic Church in Auburn, Ala. During his early life, he was active in Boy Scouts and many sports, including the Valley swim team and wrestling team. He worked as lifeguard and was a member of the Valley High School Class of 1968.

Kris earned a Bachelor of Science in Rehabilitation Services from Auburn University, and a Master of Science in Clinical Counseling and Psychology from Troy University. Kris loved his work at The Achievement Center-Easter Seals in Opelika, Ala., where he worked for 17 years as a vocational counselor and program manager, and helped countless people with varying disabilities.

Holidays with family and friends were among Kris’s favorite activities; he especially enjoyed Christmas, Easter, and a good fireworks show. Kris enjoyed books and movies; traveling to the beach and for family visits to North Dakota; and spending time enjoying fishing, nature, and wildlife around the lake on his property. Kris was a wonderful storyteller with a dry sense of humor and an infectious laugh. He had a gift of talking to people of all ages and backgrounds, putting them at ease with his mastery of thoughtfully-timed words and his abiding sense of the needs of others. He was loved and will be greatly missed by many.

In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to The Achievement Center-Easter Seals http://achievement-center.org/donate, or to the charity of your choice.

Johnson Brown-Service Funeral Home of Valley is directing.