- Date Of Birth: October 11, 1947
- Date Of Death: September 6, 2022
- State: Indiana
Clarence (Butch) D. Radford, 74, of Elkhart, passed away peacefully on Tuesday, September 6, 2022, hand in hand with his wife, after an extended illness. He was born on October 11, 1947, in Arkadelphia, AR to the late William and Francis Radford.
Butch is preceded in death by his parents; brothers Phillip and Sonny, sisters Mary and Paula, and first wife Carolyn.
Butch is survived by his wife of 40 years, Jeannette Nesbitt Radford; five children of whom he was infinitely proud: Jim (Tammy) Radford, Bob (Robyn) Radford, Travis (Jennifer) Kemble, Renee Kemble Jones and Tammy Kemble Bertog; 11 grandchildren who were the lights of his life: Jamie Radford, Ian Radford, Blake (Brian) Mounts, Cody Lausman, Elliott Owen, Kaitlyn (Alex) Lung, Andrew (Destiny Kujawa) Radford, Kristopher Kemble, Kamden Kemble, Keighla Exum, Hunter Exum; and one great grandchild Rory Mounts. Butch is also survived by two sisters Debbie (Chuck) Wensits and Tina Townsend.
Known for his great stories, hilarious jokes and colorful language, Butch was the consummate entertainer. An extremely well-read man with deep interest in history and collectibles, Butch “drank and knew things”. He was a gifted angler and loved hunting, baseball, his friends, and, above all, his family. He adored his dogs LT- Little Terror- who was loyally by his side to the end, and Kennah McKenzie with whom he reunited in heaven.
Born in Arkadelphia, AR, Butch was the oldest of 7 siblings. His impoverished childhood was the source of an abundance of incredible, often unbelievable, stories. Butch moved to South Bend as a junior in high school and made Northern Indiana his life-long home. Establishing a solid life for his two young boys, Butch founded Masters of Décor in 1974, a commercial and residential painting and wall papering company. In the 40+ years he owned and led the company, he employed many people in need which was just part of his generous commitment to those less fortune in the community.
In 1982, Butch married the love of his life, Jeannette, blending their family to include 5 kids. An honest, giving man and extremely hard worker, Butch passed his morals and strong work ethic to his kids. He beamed whenever he spent time with any of his 11 grandchildren- rediscovering the beauty and wonder of the world through their eyes. He was tremendously proud of his family, the loving and successful adults his children became, the beautiful families they created and happiness they enjoyed.
After retirement, Butch spent much of his time fishing and building handcrafted fishing poles. He and Jeannette explored their shared interest in collectibles, building extensive collections of European crystal, fine china, historic shotguns and antique fishing lures. Butch was a firm believer that “one man’s trash is another man’s treasure”.
Butch will always be remembered for his quick wit, generosity, kind heart and ability to make you laugh. Butch was loved by many and will be greatly missed by his loving family, extended family, and friends.
