Morris "Butch" Joseph Kranz

Morris Joseph Kranz, aka “Butch”, accomplished tennis junkie, Mr.I.T. Fix-It, UGA grad, son, brother, godfather, friend to everyone and enemy to no one, died Wednesday, December 24th. We lost one of the kindest, gentle and beautiful human beings ever this Christmas Eve. So many have already started to call him “Saint Butch” as he did not drink (at least not routinely), he did not smoke, he never married and lived a life befitting of a man of the cloth (of which he was not). He was a man who was always there for anyone who needed him, a man who lived by simple means yet who was selfless to a fault. From fixing every computer or network in every business or home for friends and family to the trips to the grocery store for those ailing in health, he did it all. During his younger days, there were countless times Butch’s phone would ring and on the other end was a close friend (no names mentioned please) with a request – “Can you pick me up?” And of course, he would show up, no questions asked and with never a judgment or harsh word spoken. He simply lived without judgment of those around him and simply loved all those he encountered. Morris Kranz (his ALTA sign) was an avid tennis player. As a top ranked junior tennis player, Butch was offered a scholarship to play tennis at the D-1 level and played in a couple of qualifying professional tennis tournaments as a YUTE (reference from one of his favorite movies- My Cousin Vinny). Anyone who watched Morris on the tennis courts will remember his play - he was silky smooth with uncanny quick and soft hands- he abused many a player with his patent backhand volley. Even though he ran like Tim Conway from the Carol Burnett Show (sorry Butch but you know that is true), he was still fleet a foot and quick enough to make most of his opponents miserable throughout the match. Tennis will not be the same in our ALTA communities as he will be sorely missed from all those who played with him over the years. Here are just a few things Butch loved (or not) - his family and dearest friends, his adopted families(fathers, mothers, brothers, sons, nieces, nephews); marinated chicken off the Big Green Egg, good baby back ribs, deviled eggs, sliced onions, crushed ice in his drinks, REM, a competitive tennis match without lobs, a good conversation with a female over a male- you see Butch had the gene most males were missing- the one that triggers “listening”; a well-coached UGA game and yes…he thought that we needed to separate Richt the Man from Richt the Coach and that Georgia under achieved when it mattered the most; romaine lettuce not iceberg please and PLEASE do not add carrots, the Charlie Brown Christmas story, a good movie quote, a camera that would not work (not very fond of photos); watching planes at the airport, going to the grocery store for his friends, Bailey’s on the rocks at Christmas Eve, a nice glass of red wine with his “besties”, It’s a Wonderful Life with Jimmy Stewart, Tiger Dill sauce from Outback, a good ALTA spread that was not just sub sandwiches, and lastly, a good laugh (which included some juicy nuggets)- he brought such a great, dry sense of humor just when you did not expect it! Oh, how he will be missed- we will miss his unique “sonder and stroll” – Butch did not go anywhere in a hurry- for those who knew him…you will especially remember him playing tennis on his “clock” and not yours- maybe we should all slow down a little, and sonder or stroll. We will miss his elephant brain- the man had the best memory on the planet and oh so often would remind us of things we would really like to “forget”. We will miss his unique repertoire of both useful and useless information- he was always going to be our “phone a friend” if we were to make it on a game show. We will all miss his unique sayings and vernacular which probably were all custom to each of his friends- he always said “If its and buts were candy and nuts, every day would be Christmas” – well our Christmas season will never be the same. We will miss you Brother Butch, Uncle Butch and our best friend ever! Until we meet again……please reserve us a court! A Memorial Service will be held in Butch’s honor on Sunday, January 11 at 6:00pm at Oglethorpe Hill, followed by a reception welcoming family and friends. In lieu of flowers, please make all donations to the American Heart Association. H.M. Patterson & Son, Oglethorpe Hill, 4550 Peachtree Road, NE, Brookhaven, Georgia, 30319.