Senior in the Spotlight: Wesley Charles Butler

I was born on Sept. 9, 1941. My parents were both born in Arkansas. Dad served in the U.S. Army during World War II. He was stationed in France and Germany.

We moved to California in 1952 and settled in the Del Rey and Sanger areas. I went to Del Rey and Lone Star grammar schools. I have one brother.

I attended Sanger High School. In high school I was on the cross country and track teams all four years. I graduated in 1960. In my senior year I was lucky enough to get to carry the Olympic Torch for the 1960 Winter Olympics held at Squaw Valley, now known as Heavenly Valley near Lake Tahoe.

I graduated from Reedley College, where I was on the cross country and track teams. I went to Fresno State, dropped out and joined the Air Force. I was stationed at Myrtle Beach Air Force Base in South Carolina. While stationed there I lost my leg in a motorcycle accident.

I met Renee on a blind date in 1968. We got married Jan. 31, 1970. We have been married 46 years. We have two children and three grandchildren. Our son Bill is a California Highway Patrol officer in Fresno. He has a 19-year-old son and a 15-year-old daughter. Our daughter Amy is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) and works at the veterans hospital (VA Central California Health Care System) in Fresno. She has a 5-year-old daughter.

I was a clerk at Fresno’s main post office for 31 years. While there, I was fortunate to get to carry the Olympic Torch again, this time for the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. I retired in 2000.

Renee and I liked to travel. We have taken several cruises to Alaska, Australia, Caribbean, Central America and Hawaii. We also traveled to a lot of the lower 48 states.

For fun I do leather and wood work. I love to make wooden toys, puzzles and Christmas ornaments.

This story was originally published April 25, 2016 at 10:33 AM with the headline "Senior in the Spotlight: Wesley Charles Butler."