Medford Keath, Jr.

Medford Earl Keath, Jr, better known as Butch, left this life to laugh on glorys side. His life was cut short by cancer but his legacy of happiness and his love of people remains for all those who knew and loved him. He is preceded in death by his parents Medford and Dorris Daniel Keath.
Butch was born on May 3, 1940, the oldest of three children. From birth he was a happy, gregarious person who loved to laugh and delighted in entertaining. Never letting all the facts get in the way of a good story, Butch enjoyed being the center of attention with his jokes and stories complete with all the requisite sound effects used by a good story teller.
After graduating from Sabinal High School in 1958, Butch enrolled at Texas AI in Kingsville. He enlisted in the ROTC which offered opportunity for further developing and using his natural gift of leadership. At his graduation in 1963, he was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant and reported for duty to Ft Benning, GA, where he attended Airborne School. From 196466, he was stationed at Ft Bragg, NC, home of the 82nd Airborne Division where he qualified for the elite U.S. Army Special Forces, Green Berets.
From 19661967, he was assigned to duty on the island of Okinawa where he met his future wife, Ann, a Georgia peach whose father was also assigned there. On returning from Okinawa, Butch was assigned to the Signal Corps 1st Special Forces Division at Ft Bliss in El Paso. Butch and Ann married, July 9, 1967 in Claxton, GA, and lived in El Paso until the time of his oneyear deployment to Viet Nam. In Viet Nam, he served in the Signal Corps and was awarded the Vietnam Service Medal, the Vietnam Campaign Medal, and the Bronze Star Medal. During his military service, he was also awarded the National Defense Service Medal, the Army Commendation Medal, and the Senior Parachute Badge.
In 1969, Butch returned to the States, resigned his commission, and settled into life as a civilian. Butch and Ann lived in Austin briefly then returned to Sabinal where they opened Butchs United Super grocery store. The stores coffee corner became a gathering place for many of the men in the community who met daily for earlymorning coffee, visitation and storytelling time. Two sons, Clay and Hunter joined their happy family during those years. Butch left the grocery business to become an independent insurance agent in Sabinal. Some years later, he bought the agency and renamed it Keath Insurance. In the ensuing years many friends and relatives stopped by to talk about insurance, Friday night football, and community activities, plan golf games and ski trips and drink a cup of coffee at the little red brick building just off Highway 90.
Butch served his community as president of the Sabinal Chamber of Commerce, and as a member of the Lions Club and the Sabinal Masonic Lodge. As a young boy, he made a profession of faith in Jesus Christ and was baptized in the First Baptist Church. As a man, he served that same church as a deacon, youth Sunday School teacher, choir member and church music leader. Butch was on the board of the Uvalde County Memorial Hospital for 31 years, serving as chairman and actively working to recruit talented professionals to staff the regional hospital in Uvalde. He cheered for the Texas Aggies as an enthusiastic fan, and amassed an amazing cadre of interesting, and faithful friends in the process. A few years ago, Butch decided it was time to retire and sold the insurance agency, allowing him time to do what he enjoyed most play golf, a game he was introduced to while in the military, that would become a lifetime pleasure and passion.
Consistent with his success as an athlete and according to his golfing buddies, he was a really good golfer. But what he liked most about the game was the friends he made and the time he spent with them playing on some really beautiful courses across the country. His group of friends, affectionately dubbed The Posse, was regularly seen at local golf courses. If theres golf in heaven, those who knew him are pretty sure he has found a foursome by now and is playing the best golf of his life.
He is survived by his loving wife of 47 years, Ann Leigh Rhoden Keath, two sons he took great pride in, Clay Keath and wife Lacey Keath of Lufkin and Hunter Keath and wife Lorain Keath of Harlingen, as well as five grandchildren, whom he adored, Alexandra Alex Leigh, Stanton Wesley, Hadleigh Grace, Clara Layne, and Hill Winston. Other survivors include his brother, Dan and wife Madis Smith Keath of Hondo, sister Jane Keath Witcher and husband Seth Witcher of San Antonio, maternal aunt Virginia Daniel Woolls, brothersinlaw, Ira Melton Rhoden, Kenneth Smith Rhoden and wife Sue Ellen Rhoden, sisterinlaw, Gloria Blanche Rhoden Rogers and husband Michael all of Georgia, as well as numerous nieces, nephews and cousins.
Funeral services will be held on Friday, January 2, 2015 at 2:00 PM at First Baptist Church in Sabinal with burial to follow in Sabinal Cemetery. Rev. Monty Benson will officiate. Pallbearers will be Stanton Wesley Keath, Debby Horton, Dee Habermacher, Bryson Knowles, B.J. Stone, Albert Townsend, Doyle Kitchens, and Karl Gager. Honorary pallbearers are Greg Bales, Mark Kohler, Jeff Winston, Dennis McGehee, Kenneth Spence, Gary Burk, Charles McFarland, Gordon Hudson, and Stanton Calvert.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Kate Marmion Rides to Radiation, PO Box 900, Uvalde, TX 78802.

Visitation

RushingEstesKnowles Mortuary
410 W. Cullins
Sabinal, TX  78881
Thursday, January 1, 2015
5:007:00 PM

Service

Funeral Service

First Baptist Church Sabinal
607 N San Antonio
Sabinal, TX  78881
Friday, January 2, 2015
2:00 PM

Cemetery

Sabinal Cemetery
Hwy 90 East
Sabinal, TX  78881

Memorial Contributions

PO Box 900
Uvalde, TX  78802