Former Lawrence substitute teacher, basketball coach and community mentor dies at 79

Craig Butler was known for far more than the bass heard in the words he spoke. He also helped many Lawrence youths find their own voices.

Thomas Afful remembers Butler substituting in several classes when he was in middle school.

Afful, a Lawrence High Class of 2014 graduate, said other teachers would call on Butler to “kind of get some of us in order.” He described Butler as a disciplinarian but said his calm and assertive approach was effective, and he made learning fun.

“He commanded his respect indeed with his deep voice,” Afful said. “But he always brought some type of a lesson to be learned in those circumstances.”

Butler, 79, died the evening of Jan. 1 at the University of Kansas hospital. The longtime Lawrence resident had battled with a brief illness related to heart issues and diabetes, according to his daughter, Julia Butler.

His final request was fried catfish, barbecue and a Bud Light. Second to the sound of Butler’s voice – and of the TV inside his home blaring MSNBC – Julia said she’ll most miss her dad’s love for food.

“When he would eat something good, you would know it,” she said, laughing.

The bulk of Butler’s career was in social work, Julia said, as he previously worked for the Kansas Department of Social and Rehabilitation Services. He then pivoted to substitute teaching for Lawrence Public Schools in the early 2000s before retiring around a decade ago.

Butler launched “Can We Talk?” in 2007 with a group of fellow Black men in Lawrence, including Willie Amison, Ed Brunt and Bud Stallworth.

Initially designed as mentorship for Black boys attending Lawrence and Free State high schools, the after-school club quickly expanded its reach to more students.

Afful said when he attended “Can We Talk?” meetings, the room was often packed with both students and staff, some standing in the doorway. Participants would discuss race and culture and work through their school and home life struggles. They’d mull over their futures.

“He brought unity amongst the students, especially minority students,” Afful said.

The club remains active today, largely focused on social justice, according to a Free State Free Press article. Free State security officer Dee Kemp took over for the former staff adviser, Charles Thomas, who died in 2021.

‘That way of connecting with people’

“Can We Talk?” served as a safe space as much as Butler himself did.

Jermaine Jackson, who graduated from Lawrence High in 1991, was an eighth grader at West Middle School when he met Butler. He played on Butler’s AAU (Amateur Athletic Union) basketball team and said Butler provided the representation he needed as a kid.

“He just always took me under his wing like a son,” Jackson said. “I grew up in the South and I came up here, and, you know, he gave me the confidence. That’s the guy that looked like me, dark skin like me, and he’s doing his big thing.”

Eventually, Butler became a client of Jackson’s. A barber who operates mostly out of Watson’s Barbershop inside the South Lawrence Walmart, Jackson pivoted to in-home cuts for Butler seven or eight years ago when it started to get harder for Butler to get around.

“He talked to me about life, or if he saw I needed some direction or something, he would always give me advice,” Jackson said.

Kim Moore, Lawrence High Class of ‘94, said Butler was her first basketball coach. She played under his instruction through a Lawrence Parks and Recreation program when she was in fifth and sixth grades.

Moore said Butler’s coaching style influenced her now 18-year coaching career in youth baseball. Butler coached youth basketball for more than 25 years, up until around 2006.

“I don’t remember him being harsh, but very positive, very encouraging, and pushed me, but not in a harsh way,” Moore said. “It made me want to just keep trying, keep trying. Even when I messed up, he was never discouraging.”

Growing up, Julia said she felt like her dad knew everyone everywhere they went. He cheered at his own children’s activities and supported other kids at theirs, helped students with their financial aid applications, connected folks with employment, and simply conversed.

Julia said she’s not sure how he was able to maintain so many relationships, but he appeared to do it with ease, as if it was second nature.

“He just had that way of connecting with people,” Julia said. “If you wanted to better yourself, he was going to find a way to help you do that.”

Butler was born in 1946 and grew up in Chicago. He obtained his undergraduate degree in history from Bethel College in 1972 and his graduate degree in education from the University of Kansas in 1990.

Lawrence Public Schools presented the “Can We Talk?” founders with its annual Outstanding Citizen Award for 2010-11. Free State recognized Butler and Amison in 2013 with the Friends of Education Award, another annual award thanking community volunteers in the district.

No formal service is scheduled for him at this time, but his family plans to hold a celebration of his life sometime in the near future. His obituary is online at this link.

Maya Hodison (she/her), reporting correspondent, has been with The Lawrence Times since July 2021. Born and raised in Lawrence, she enjoys focusing on issues that people in marginalized communities face and amplifying voices that are oftentimes unvalued. Read more of her work for the Times here.

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