The National Parent Teacher Association will honor a beloved crossing guard Thursday night at New Berlin Elementary School with its highest honor: the Life Achievement Award.
James Butler, a U.S. Navy veteran, helped students get safely to and from school for seven years.
“Phenomenal” is one of the many words used to describe James Butler, who died in August 2023 from an undisclosed illness.
“He had this infectious smile and a powerful wave,” said Tiara Pollard, secretary of New Berlin Elementary’s PTA. “We just want to let the world know that we remember him. Even though he has gone, his memories live on with us and he is New Berlin’s forever crossing guard.”
The National PTA will honor Butler posthumously with its “Life Achievement Award” during an end-of-year celebration ceremony at New Berlin Elementary at 6 p.m. Thursday. Butler’s wife plans to accept a certificate and honorary pin on her husband’s behalf.
The award recognizes people who live out their commitment to children on a daily basis and advocate for children’s education, health and well-being.
“He was very friendly with the children,” said New Berlin Elementary Principal Raquel Foxworth. “He was very friendly with the parents. The staff was very fond of him, and they only had great things to say.”
School administrators say Butler did his job flawlessly.
“What he did was serve this community day in and day out,” Pollard said. “Just going above and beyond to make sure that the children got to school safely.”
In August 2022, News4JAX interviewed Butler for a “Positively JAX” story as he encouraged people to sign up to become crossing guards.
We learned then that Butler got to know students beyond the limits of the classroom.
“It is the most rewarding job you would ever have because you are protecting human lives,” Butler said during that interview. “It is not about the pay. You have to have a love for children and your community.”
Pollard said Butler’s positivity and approach to being a crossing guard, “just speaks volumes about his character.”
“No matter what situation was going on in his life, he showed up and you could just see that he had this positivity radiating out of him,” Pollard said.
After Butler’s death in August, the community made a memorial at the entrance of the subdivision where he lived.
“Everybody came and they put flowers, teddy bears and left different messages to let Mr. James know how much we loved him,” Foxworth said. “[We wanted him to know] how much we were going to miss him and just the impact that he has had on this New Berlin community.”
Although Butler is no longer here, his legacy at the intersection of New Berlin Road and Glenn Hollow Drive/E. Ayrshire Street is forever etched in New Berlin’s history.
“Just letting [Butler’s wife] know that we definitely thought the world of Mr. James,” Foxworth said. “His legacy will definitely live on in our hearts here at New Berlin.”
Foxworth said there was another thing that really showed Butler’s character.
She said even after Butler gell ill, which ultimately led to his death, he would still do his best to show up to work as a crossing guard, despite how he was feeling and the status of his health.
Butler did that until just a few weeks before he died.