Roll Call Tribute

Rhett Alan Butler 

February 9, 1955 - June 10, 2024 

Rhett Alan Butler went to sleep in the Lord in the early hours of Monday, June 10, 2024 attended by his wife Wileen, and Ms. Hattie Hastings of Heart 2 Heart Ministries. Rhett Alan was born to Ila Hubbard Butler and Milton Butler. He went to public schools and graduated from Stephen F. Austin High School in 1973. He graduated from Texas A&M University with a BA in Math in 1979. He also earned a MS in Physics from UT Dallas in 1985.

Known to his family and cousins as Rhett, he was known to most of his friends and coworkers as Alan. He started his professional career in 1987 as a circuit design engineer for Recognition Equipment Corp. While working in Dallas for this company, he met his pen pal, Wileen, from the Philippines who was traveling to the US on vacation. When she went back to the Philippines, Rhett helped with the legalities of getting a work permit and travel requirements for Wileen to return, and they were married on December 17, 1988. In 1993 Alan was employed as an electrical component engineer for DSC Communication Corp, and in 1995 he got a job with Compaq and they moved to the Woodlands. After some further post graduate work, he taught in public and private high schools. He was also an adjunct professor for Lone Star College and Sam Houston State University in math, physics and astronomy. Alan also tutored private students in higher math and physics and retired in 2021.

Rhett was not one to sit still. He enjoyed playing tennis and golf. He would often go for midnight walks in their neighborhood. Rhett loved art, math and music, especially the music of the 60's and 70's. He also painted and played guitar and had a collection of different guitars he loved to play. Alan and Wileen traveled to the Philippines periodically to visit her family, and they loved him dearly. Their most recent trip to visit her family included a side trip to South Korea, where Alan fell in love with the people and culture. Rhett and Wileen started attending the Woodlands Church in 1997 and Alan made a commitment to his Savior in 1997 and was baptized in 1999. 

Rhett Alan was preceded in death by his parents, Milton and Ila Butler, and an infant sister, Janice. He is survived by cousins, Marion Mathis, Bobbie Presswood, Johnnie Butler, Becky Donaho, Dena Davis, Mary Grimes, Nita Luna and Hub Randel, God-son Noah Reid and many friends and fellow Christians.

The family is grateful to Three Oaks Hospice in the Woodlands and especially to Hattie Hastings who stayed with Wileen and Rhett continuously during his hospitalization offering support and love. There will be a memorial service for Rhett Alan on Friday, June 28, 2024 at Woodlands Church at 1:00PM.