Anna Elizabeth Butler

Anna Elizabeth Butler was born in Greenwood, SC and lived in Hartwell, GA. until 1997 when her family moved to Watkinsville, GA. She attended Briarwood Baptist Church and Athens Church. She graduated from Oconee County High School in 2010 and while there was involved in many clubs and organizations that are too numerous to name and lettered in several sports.

When Anna was 18 months old she was hospitalized for asthma. As an adult her asthma returned in recent years, only to claim her life with an acute asthma attack Christmas night. We have comfort in knowing that she gave the gift of life to several individuals by being an organ donor.

Heaven opened its doors to receive an angel whose life was larger than life and whose heart is bigger than big.  Anna lived her life dedicated to her family, friends and to her special needs students and their families. She was full of compassion and enjoyed instructing other students how to teach, love and care for her special needs "babies" as she called them.  For her non-verbal students she was their advocate, cheerleader, hope and inspiration. In the 28 years that we had her here, she touched the lives of more people than most can do in a lifetime. Anna had a way to make everyone she met feel special, wanted and loved. She was one the most compassionate, caring and giving individuals this world has ever known. God does not give everyone a daughter, sister, and friend this special and we have been blessed beyond measure to have been her family. The best words to describe Anna are "large and in charge." Her other passion in life was animals. There was never a stray or lost animal without a home if she could catch it, whether it was finding their owner or re-homing them. She leaves behind her special pets, Murphy, Maggie, Hershey, Kit, Ralph and Leo.

While at UGA Anna excelled in the classroom and received her undergraduate Special Education degree in 2015 and state teacher certification in 2016. Anna decided to become a double Dawg and in completing the masters application and essay, we would like to quote two sentences: "I live for serving others, and believe that the families need just as much support as the child with disabilities. I can only hope that I am able to continue my education in order to help these families, and others like them." It was here she realized her lifelong goal of teaching and becoming a college professor.  She received her Masters degree in 2016.  She served as the Lead Teacher of the CABER Model Classrooms from 2016-2019 and in 2017 became a Board Certified Behavior Analyst. She served as Supervision Director for the CABER model Classrooms since 2018. She taught undergraduate courses focused on autism and teaching methods. Beyond her instruction, she supervised directly or indirectly nearly 100 future teachers or behavior therapists helping to shape them as professionals. Anna previously worked as a behavior therapist for Comprehensive Behavior Change and a clinician and supervisor for the UGA Behavior Support Clinic. She published one book chapter and leaves four manuscripts in preparation. One of those papers was laying the ground work for a transformative line of research that would help shape school based interventions for children with and without disabilities. She was vice president of the Student Association for Behavior Analysis at UGA and a member of the Council for Exceptional Children including the Division on Autism and Developmental Disabilities and the Teacher Education Division. She was also a member of the Association for Applied Behavior Analysis International and the Georgia Association for Applied Behavior Analysis.  Also while attending UGA, Anna was a proud member of Zeta Tau Alpha Fraternity for women, and was very involved with their activities and fundraising goals. Just one semester away from receiving her Ph. D, she was to begin a new job in January as Supervisor of the UGA Behavior Support Clinic.  After this position she hoped to become a college professor at UGA after becoming a triple Dawg.

Predeceasing Anna were her paternal grandfather Harold A. Butler and maternal grandparents William T. and Lillian C. Ivey, all of Lincolnton, GA.

Anna is survived by her parents Marion and Darlene Butler, sister Catherine B. Henry (Cory and nephew Camden) of Watkinsville, twin brother Brian M. Butler (Amber) of Alpharetta, and brother David A. Butler (Natalie) of Hendersonville, Tennessee.  Also surviving are her grandmother Faye M. Butler, uncles Richard and Ronald Butler of Lincolnton, and aunt and uncle Dianne and Jim Morgan of Greenwood, SC.  Anna is also survived by her boyfriend William Davis Lance of Athens, as well as many dear friends.

We wish to thank the doctors and staff of Athens Pulmonary and Athens Neurological Associates.  Words cannot express enough thanks to everyone in the CVICU at Piedmont Athens Regional Medical Center with special thanks to Dr. Nick Fox, nurse Megan Chambers, and Chaplain Richard Smith who remained with Anna until the end.

In lieu of flowers, Anna's family asks that you donate to the College of Education at the University of Georgia. The scholarship is in the process of being established. Please either make a check out to UGA Foundation, write Anna Butler in the memo line, and mail the check to Molly Thomas, G3 Aderhold Hall, University of Georgia, Athens GA 30602 or you may donate online to the College of Education Fund for Excellence at https://gail.uga.edu/commit (choose "College of Education" from the first drop-down and then choose "College of Education Fund for Excellence" from the second drop-down). Please put Anna Butler’s name either in the special instructions/comments section or the tribute section.

A private funeral service will be held Sunday, January 3, 2021 at 2:00 PM at Briarwood Baptist Church for the immediate family. Everyone else is encouraged to come to the church for the drive up service as it will be broadcasted over the FM transmission 87.9 channel. You may also watch live on Briarwood Baptist Church’s Facebook page.

Lord and Stephens Funeral Home, WEST, Watkinsville, is in charge of arrangements.