Clarence Andrew Shelton III

The family will greet friends from 1-2 p.m. on Sunday, March 7, 2021 at Ridout's Southern Heritage Funeral Home in Pelham, AL, immediately followed by A Service of Remembrance for Butch Shelton at 2 p.m. at the funeral home's chapel. Private burial, Alabama National Cemetery, Montevallo.

Butch was born on August 31, 1946 in Salem, AR. His mother was unable to get to the hospital thus he was born in his grandparents' two-story log house. Being the third, his mother nicknamed him Butch.

Both his father, Clarence A. Shelton Jr., and mother, Odelsa Mable Shelton Collins, predecease him. His step-father, his Dad, SFC (R) Everett T. Collins, also predeceases him, as does one brother, Allen Shelton.

After high school graduation and a year in college, Butch decided to join the U.S. Army. While in Basic Training, he was selected to attend Officer Candidate School. He was 20 when he was commissioned an Infantry 2Lt in June 1967. This was the turning point in his life.

In June 1969 he was promoted to Captain while serving in the Vietnam War. At the time, he was the youngest Captain in the U.S. Military. He served over 31 years, both in the Infantry and Engineer Corps retiring in December 1997 as a Colonel. During his service time, he was awarded the Legion of Merit, Meritorious Service Medal, Bronze Star with V device, Purple Heart, Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry with Silver Star for Valor, and numerous other awards. In 1995, he was inducted into the U.S. Army's Hall of Fame at Fort Benning, GA.

After the wind down of the Vietnam War, Butch was released from Active Duty in 1973. At this point he attended and graduated from South East Missouri University with the Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration. In 1983, he graduated from the University of Alabama Birmingham with the Master Degree in Public Administration with emphasis in Health Care.

In 1977, Butch found his other life's calling in Long Term Care Operations. He spent over 37 years in the Health Care field. At one time, he oversaw the operations of 78 nursing homes in an area that reached from coast to coast and border to border. He referred to his residents as his surrogate Grandmas and Grandpas.

Butch loved his job. He loved helping people, sometimes without their knowledge. He would refuse to be paid. Sometimes he would jokingly charge $1 million for some menial task.

In addition, Butch loved to fish. He was not very good at it, but to him it was the best anti-depressant he could find. His second hobby was perusing antique stores for good deals, one of a kind items, or odd items.

Few people knew that Butch set up a Perpetual Scholarship of $100,000 for Nursing Candidates at the Tech School in his hometown of West Plains, MO. Each year he would go home and personally present to the selected candidate a check for $2,000 to be applied to their tuition.

Butch is survived by his wife, Carolyn Ann Shelton; two sons, Clarence A. "Shel" Shelton IV and Shawn Allen Shelton, both Alabama residents; a younger brother, Phillip F. Shelton of Arkansas; nine grandchildren; and many nieces and nephews.

In lieu of flowers, Butch's family respectfully requests that you donate to The Salvation Army, www.salvationarmyusa.org, or to a charity of your choice.