Colonel Robert "Butch" Bruce Gatlin Aug 5, 1943 – June 23, 2021 Obituary for Robert "Butch" Bruce Gatlin Colonel Robert Bruce “Butch” Gatlin (ret.), age 77 of Lithia, FL, passed away Wednesday, June 23, 2021, at his home. He was born in San Francisco, CA and lived in Northern California (Dunsmuir) with his mother, Margaret Rose Macualay, and his two sisters. When his mother married William Carsey Gatlin, Carsey adopted Butch and his two sisters and they all moved to Paris, TN, Carsey’s hometown. Butch graduated from EW Grove High School and Marion Military Institute. Then he enlisted in the US Army where he served as a second lieutenant with the Corp of Engineers in Vietnam. He had found his calling and his love of the military took him and his family all over the world. His duty stations with the US Corps of Engineers included: Fort Rucker, AL; Bamberg, Germany; Stuttgart, Germany; Charleston, SC; Fort Leavenworth, KS; Fort Ord, CA; Carlisle, PA; Galveston, TX; and Fort Hood, TX. He completed his BS in Civil Engineering from University of Tennessee and received an MBA from Shippensburg University, Shippensburg, PA. After 31 years of service, Butch retired with many awards and ribbons serving not only in Vietnam but in Desert Storm as well. Not one to sit around, he found his way back “with the troops” by working as a defense contractor with KBR, GKL, and ANHAM in Kosovo, Washington, DC, Kuwait, and Iraq. In February 2018, Butch was diagnosed with stage IV colon cancer. He astonished his oncologist by beating back the cancer, but as too many of us know, cancer is a cruel adversary and after a little over three years he decided to forgo any more time in the hospital to work on completing his bucket list at his house in Florida. Butch was most happy working on a project, being on the tractor, keeping the yard mowed and spending time with his daughters, his grandchildren and his great granddaughter. He is survived by his daughters Ginger (Marv) Snow of Gadsden AL and Holly (Jami) Hart of Lithia, FL; grandchildren Garrett Gatlin, Nathan (Popi) Snow, Erin Snow, Emily Snow; and great grand-daughter Seraph Snow; sisters Patricia McKinney of Lithia, FL and Sandy Rogers of Camden, TN; many nieces and nephews; and former wives Diane C. Gatlin and Lorie Killingsworth. His daughters would like to thank Dr. John Piede of Alabama Oncology and the Sapphire Team with Lifepath Hospice. Special thanks to his sister, Pat, who, when he was at his lowest, gave him a renewed purpose and a place to call home. A memorial service will be on August 14, 2021, in Lithia, FL for family and friends and a graveside service will be held in Paris, TN, April 2022. In lieu of flowers, a donation to the Gary Sinise Foundation is appreciated. Upcoming Events Gathering Service Times: