Celebration of life service for Butch Rickels, 71, of Warrior will be at 6:00 p.m., Thursday, March 17, 2022 at North Highland Baptist Church, located at 523 Main St N, Warrior, AL 35180. Brother Steve Abney officiating. Per Butch Rickels request, in lieu flowers, please send donations to North Highland Baptist Church in memory of Butch Rickels, or a covered dish. Please Come and have fellowship with family and friends for his celebration of life starting at 4:00 p.m., service to follow starting at 6:00 p.m.
Cullman Funeral Home is honored to serve the Rickels family.
Curtis Edward Rickels Jr. was born to the late Curtis and Catherine Rickels on March 3, 1951. He was known to friends and family as Butch and was a pinnacle of the Warrior, Al community. He was a graduate of Corner High school and was a man of great ambition and strong determination which he showed in all things including his love for the Lord, his wife Joyce Rickels, his church, his family and his friends.
At the young age of 19, Butch started his own business known as Warrior Tire, which was located on Main Street of Warrior for 20 years before he moved on to build Warrior Tire II o the Hayden/Corner exit. You could always find a big yellow school bus parked right outside his shop. He drove a bus from 1986 – 2013, devoting 27 years to the children he transported every day. If not on a yellow school bus, you could sometimes catch Butch driving his personal white bus. This bus was known as a symbol of love and fellowship no matter where it traveled. From birthday parties to football games, to his many adventures to Canada to fish with all his family and friends, he had pride in driving it.
Butch was wise and generous to a fault. His compassion was endless. He never met a stranger, and he was determined to encourage and inspire those who were fortunate enough to have known him. He was a busy bee, always available for odd jobs and help till the day he was unable to do so. Even then, he could be seen directing or supervising his odd jobs around the house from his scooter. No matter how tired he might have seemed, he was always ready to play a round of hand and foot, even if it meant you receiving a phone call any day of the week at any time with his invitation, though that invitation was more of an absolute attendance expected rather than an open-ended suggestion.
He had a true servant’s heart, and it brought him endless joy to be of service in any way he possibly could. He had many names, but some of the most treasured were: Honey, Dad, PawPaw Butch, Best brother in the world and friend. He was truly one of a kind and those who knew him and had the honor of loving him were blessed beyond measure.
Butch was preceded in death by his parents: Curtis and Catherine Rickels and his great-granddaughter: JayLee Kyann Warden.
Survivors include his wife: Joyce McCutcheon Rickels; his sisters: Anita Cupps (Colonel) and Sharon Steele (Ugg); his children: Jason Rickels and Spouse Melody, Julia Rickels/Cassady, Tim McCutcheon, and Spouse Sabrina, Stephanie Crawford and Spouse Phillip, Jason McCutcheon and Spouse Shana and Jacob McCutcheon and Spouse Amber; his grandchildren: Micayla and Carson Rickels (Mother Tracy Rickels), Danyelle, Victoria, Elaina, HaLee, Hollie, Taylor, JoAnna, Brody, Briggs, Macee, Shyla and Isaac; his great-grandchildren: BrinnLee, Baylen and Lucy, along with nieces, nephews and friends.
