Claude "Butch" F. Lease Jr.

Claude F. “Butch” Lease, Jr., age 69, of Savanna, Illinois passed away Sunday, August 6, 2017, with his family by his side. A memorial service will be held Saturday, August 19, 2017, at 12:00 p.m. at Law-Jones Funeral Home, Savanna, Illinois. A memorial gathering will be held from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. at the funeral home prior to the service. A memorial fund has been established in Butch’s memory.
Butch was born on January 23, 1948, in Bakersfield, California, the son of Claude Sr. and Carolyn (Tracy) Lease. He attended Savanna Schools, and one year at Clinton High School. Butch proudly served his country in the United States Army during the Vietnam War. On December 16, 1978, he married Connie Johnson at the First Presbyterian Church in Savanna. They celebrated 37 years of marriage until Connie’s death in 2015.
Butch spent many years working in the food industry. He worked as the manager of Burger King in Clinton, Iowa. He also did factory work for Hawkeye Chemical in Camanche, Iowa. He worked for Sewer Equipment of America, and did prep and paint work of sewer equipment in Chadwick, Illinois. Later in life, he worked for the Carroll County Veterans Assistance Commission. Butch was a member of the Savanna Moose Lodge and enjoyed cooking, swimming, archery, bowling, and “tinkering” on the computer. He was very proud of the fact that he celebrated 38 years of sobriety with Alcoholics Anonymous.
Butch will be dearly missed by one son, Mark Lease; daughter-in-law, Kim Goudy of Savanna; one grandchild, Anthony Lease of Savanna; a sister, Martha (Gary) Page of Oostburg, Wisconsin; nieces and nephews, Edward Hiher of Thomson, Illinois, James Hiher of Savanna, Tracy (Mark) Harrison of Clinton, Iowa, Mary (Jim) Barkley of Rockford, Illinois, Cindie (Mike) Johnson of Fulton, Illinois, Ian (Lisa) Page of Cottage Grove, Minnesota, Rebekah (Graig) Kubista of Cheltenham, England; many great-nieces and nephews and great-great-nieces and nephews. Butch is preceded in death by his wife, Connie; his parents, Claude Sr. and Carolyn; and a sister, Marilyn Hiher.