Marcus Butler

Marcus was a giver – in life as well as in death

Marcus, a donor of two life-saving organs, is celebrated as a father, loving husband, mentor and sports fanatic who loved God and his church.

“It is what he would have wanted,” Monica Butler says.

Upon her husband’s sudden death, Monica found hope and relief in the knowledge that Marcus, her 47-year-old spouse of just over nine years, was a candidate for organ donation.

Marcus suffered a fatal asthma attack on Sept. 28, 2020. While Monica was lost her husband, a woman in her 60s’ life was saved by the gift of Marcus’s kidney, and a man in his 50s got the heart transplant he had long been waiting for.

Dealing with such loss can leave a person bitter, Monica says, but she made the conscious choice to remain grateful—not only for the life she enjoyed with Marcus, but for the lives he saved through organ donation.

Marcus’ organ donation saved two lives through tranplantation. He was a deacon at Greater All Nations Tabernacle and a father figure and mentor not only to his own two children, but also to countless young men in need of a positive role model in their lives.

Marcus gave of himself in life as well as in death. He was a deacon at Greater All Nations Tabernacle and was a father figure not only to his own two children, Kennedy and Marcus Jr., but also to countless young men in need of a positive role model in their lives. He was a coach at The Outlet, a nonprofit organization in Springfield mentoring fatherless boys and young men. Several of those young men attended Marcus’s funeral and shared stories of how Marcus had improved their lives.

Monica says she hopes members of their multicultural community can see through the myths that surround organ donation and come to realize that others are are alive today because of her husband was a donor. Monica says she feels as if Marcus is living on in the lives of those he helped.

Monica and Marcus had discussed organ donation. She knew her husband wanted his organs to benefit others in the case of his death. Yet when it came time, Monica struggled with that decision. It was with the help of a representative from Gift of Hope that Monica was finally able to fulfill her husband’s wishes.

Over the years, Marcus’ legacy has inspired others in his community, especially during August’s National Minority Donor Awareness Month observance. He has been honored on street pole banners in downtown Springfield and on website resources for education about the importance of minority donor registration. He is celebrated as a father, loving husband, mentor and sports fanatic who loved God and his church and his generosity continues to be an inspiration to others.