Today we celebrate Mr. Edward J. Butler, husband of 51 years, father of two daughters, and grandfather to many. Mr. Butler moved to Danville when he was only 5 years old, and has spent the last 65 years of his life loving this city and its people. His favorite thing about Danville is that “The people here are friendly. This is a loving town, my hometown, and my family is here.”
As the oldest of ten siblings, Mr. Butler understands that “it takes a village”, and he spent 40 years of his adult life coaching little league football and mentoring youth in his neighborhood. During his career, he worked at District 118 in maintenance for over 30 years. When he retired, he kept on working, serving in his role through Community Action Agency as an Energy Conservation Specialist for 15 years, helping people with the weatherization of their homes. Even today, he still invests in Danville by serving as the president of the NAACP and through his role as one of the Three Kings of Peace, which exists to educate and save as many youth as possible. The Three Kings of Peace was founded 6 years ago as a reaction to the gun violence in the city, and ever since they have been leading peace marches, advocating for youth in the area, and strengthening relationships between the community and the police. Today The Three Kinds of Peace is working towards opening a mentoring center near Garfield Park.
Mr. Butler says that his mother taught him the values of kindness, love, and faith, and those values have carried on throughout his life in every area. His faith is the cornerstone of his life and he serves as a Deacon at Shiloh Baptist Church. When asked why he gives so much of his time away to help others, Mr. Butler said, “I have sleepless nights wondering, how can I help my people? I love my people. I serve for the love of my people.”
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