John "Butch" Lacey Richardson

John Lacey “Butch” Richardson, age 57, of Boyle, MS, passed away Tuesday, October 27, 2020, at Baptist Hospital-Desoto in Southaven, MS.

The family will receive friends from 1:30 PM until 2:00 PM at Benoit Union Church on November 14, 2020. A memorial service will follow at 2:00 PM at the Benoit Union Church, Benoit, MS. Reverend Bobby Douglas will officiate the service. Due to Covid-19, the family requests that masks be worn.

Butch was born August 20, 1963, in Batesville, MS to Brinson Lee and Caroline Lacey Richardson. John grew up in Shaw, MS, attending first the Catholic Church School then BayouAcademy, and graduating from Shaw High School. Butch worked at several local factories before joining the United States Army, 82nd Airborne Division were he obtained the rank of Specialist 4.Upon leaving the Army, Butch went to work for Boeing/Spirit Air in Wichita, Kansas, where he spent 30 years repairing the CNC machines that build airplane parts. During his early days at Boeing, he made repairs on Air Force One as well as the AirBus of a foreign dignitary, whose plane “had everything covered in gold.” It was during this phase of his job that he was required to be in the belly of the plane as it was in the air, to make any necessary repairs as that was the only way to know if it was safe to fly. In 2013, Butch moved back to Cleveland to work for Baxter, Inc, and to be near his family and aging mother. It was at this time he and his “first love” began their second romance together and on April 29, 2017, Butch and Judy Bruce Richardson were united in marriage. Butch enjoyed repairing things and could repair anything. Even if it wasn’t broken, he could find a way to make it work better. He loved to make people laugh with his dry wit. He loved to “stir the pot”, especially with his niece and nephew. He loved big but tried to hide it underneath his gruff exterior. He especially enjoyed making his doctors and nurses laugh. He did everything well. Cancer took his life in the end, but he fought like the Trooper he was. However, cancer is not the winner. Because of his fight, he lost weight, quit drinking and smoking, and actually felt better than he had in forty years. God was gracious and granted his request, that when his time came, he takes him in his sleep, and He did. Butch is preceded in death by his parents, Brinson and Caroline Richardson, his beloved GermanShepherd Sugar, and his precious Angel, Sara Lou.

Left behind to miss him forever is his wife, Judy Bruce Richardson, daughters Janea Richardson and Kaylee McCool, sons Jordan Richardson and Bobby Ledford, brothers Loyd Richardson and Buddy Richardson, sister Becky Richardson Kilpatrick, nephew Michael Marquis (Leann) and niece Angela Marquis (Hughie), as well as six grandchildren and three great-nieces, and many special friends. Memorials may be made to Wounded Warrior Project, P.O. Box 758516, Topeka, Kansas 66675-8516 or to the American Cancer Society, www.cancer.org

Cleveland Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements. The on-line register may be signed at www.clevelandfuneralhome.net.