Howard E. Butt Jr, H-E-B Grocery Heir Turned Evangelist, Dies at 89
Howard E. Butt Jr., the oldest son of H-E-B Grocery Stores founder who quit his family business to share the Gospel, died from complications of Parkinson's Disease at his home in San Antonio, Texas. His family remembered him as an "inspiring leader, philanthropist and humanitarian" as his funeral service was held during the weekend.
A memorial service was held at the Trinity Baptist Church, and his children released a statement, saying, "With great joy, we celebrate dad's arrival into the kingdom of heaven, where angels and trumpets are welcoming him home and where he will meet and forever be united with our father, son and holy spirit, who he has served," according to Ksat.com.
Howard's brother, Charles Butt, was appointed the Chairman and CEO of the H-E-B grocery chain after Howard decided to go into Christian ministry instead of leading the family business in the 1960s. However, Howard did lead the H.E. Butt Family Foundation, one of the largest philanthropic groups in Texas.
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Howard, who died at 89, was best known for his one-minute radio spots titled, "The High Calling of Our Daily Work," and also founded Laity Lodge, a Christian retreat center.
"Christianity that does not change us in our homes will never change the world," Howard once said, according to The New York Times. "Church work is done wherever we have excellence in our work that exhibits love for the people we are working with."
"We are deeply saddened by the loss of my brother, Howard," Charles said in a statement. "His decades of inspired leadership, philanthropy and humanitarian efforts will forever be missed by our family and those he impacted across the U.S."
Howard is survived by his sister, Eleanor Butt Crook, a former schoolteacher who became a public education advocate and a world hunger activist; his wife Barbara Dan; his daughter Deborah Dan Rogers, who runs the H.E. Butt Foundation with her husband David Rogers; his sons, Howard Butt III, who heads the grocery chain's Mexico division, and his wife Pamela, and Stephen Butt, who runs Central Market, and his wife Susan, according to MySanAntonio.
The evangelist is also survived by eight grandchildren, Howard IV and wife Kristen, Hillary and husband Tom, and Jeffery (Alexandra) Butt; Sarah and Shelby Butt; and Katherine, Alexandra, and Jackson Rogers; and one great-granddaughter, Charley Butt.
"I had been living my whole life with Dad wanting me to be part of the company," Howard said in a 1996 interview. He suffered with depression, which he said "was very suspect in the whole Texas culture and even more so in the Baptist culture. There were family members that didn't even know."
In a 2007 interview, Howard recalled how a conversation with his brother helped him more than meeting a psychiatrist.
"In a sudden exhibition of grace in my life, my brother, Charles, and I talked about our dreams. I dreamed of doing something long-term in lay renewal. Charles dreamed of doing great things in the grocery business," he was quoted as saying in that interview.
