Leesburg, Fl --- Rodney Preston Butler, Sr., 68, the husband of Carolyn (Wallace) Butler, died peacefully, Saturday, January 10, 2015 at Leesburg Regional Medical Center. Rodney (Rod) was born in Harlem, NY on July 5, 1946 a son of the late Martin M. Butler and Lucille (Brown) Butler. Rodney was raised in Harlem, New York, where early on he distinguished himself as a major force on the basketball court. Rodney’s amazing basketball journey ranged from Morningside Park to the famous Rucker Park in New York, which provided a solid foundation for his phenomenal career as a scholar-athlete at Western New England College. Rodney holds the Western New England College single – game record for points (53) and rebounds (30), and is the program’s all-time leader in field-goal percentage (61.9). He was inducted into the Western New England College Downes Athletic Hall of Fame in 2000. Rodney received a baccalaureate degree in Business Administration from Western New England College in 1971 and subsequently, a Masters in Counseling from the University of Bridgeport. After serving over 35 years in the Connecticut Community College system, Rodney retired from Naugatuck Valley Community College in Waterbury, CT, where he was the Director of Financial Aid and Veterans Affairs. Throughout his career Rodney taught, coached, mentored and provided the support and guidance necessary for hundreds of students. Many expressed that without his support “they would never have graduated” or “do not know where they would be”. As Director of the Computers and You program at Waterbury State Technical College, Rodney provided an opportunity for at-risk students of color to enhance their academic abilities and gain exposure to cultural events such as plays in New York City. Post retirement, Rodney lived in Leesburg, Florida for the past 9 years. Together with his adoring wife, Carolyn, he enjoyed the outdoor Florida life and traveled internationally. Although Rodney was known by his teammates and opponents as a fierce competitor, he was more importantly a real gentleman, a caring husband, father, grandfather and brother. In addition to his loving wife Carolyn, Rodney is survived by three sons Rodney, Kareem and Shawn; two daughters, Dawn and Keisha; five sisters, Gladys Butler, Gloria (Butler) Lawson, Melba Butler, Nora (Butler) Guy, Tracey Butler; one brother, Mohammed Aziz and brothers-in-law Ronald Guy and Robert S. Wallace. He is also survived by his eight grandchildren: Deyonte, Dontavias, Tyson, Mikayla, Octavia, Eunique, Jesiah and X’avius. Rodney was loved and cherished by a host of other relatives and friends. A Service to Celebrate Rodney’s Life will be held Friday, January 16, 2015 at 6:30pm and calling hours are Friday from 4:00pm to 6:30pm in the chapel at Mahan’s Lakeview, 15 Grilley Road, Wolcott, CT. Burial will be Saturday, January 17, 2015 in George Washington Memorial Park, Paramus, NJ. In lieu of flowers, to honor Rodney’s memory, contributions may be made to the American Diabetes Association, 2080 Silas Deane Highway, Rocky Hill, CT 06067 or to the American Heart Association, 5 Brookside Drive, Wallingford, CT 06492. Arrangements are entrusted to the Buckmiller Thurston Mengacci Funeral Home, 82 Fairview Avenue, Naugatuck, CT.