Thelma "DeDe" Marie (Butler) Stone

Thelma Marie Butler Stone (93) was born to Benjamin Franklin Butler and Thelma Marie Hall Butler on March 28, 1926 in Birmingham, Alabama and died in Birmingham on December 14, 2019. A lifelong Birmingham resident, she was preceded in death by her parents and husband of 71 years, Joseph Walter Stone, as well as her brothers Benjamin Franklin Butler, Jr. and Nickolas Murray Butler.

DeDe is survived by her son Ronny (Brenda); daughter Dyxie Pauly (Clarke), Grandson Joe Stone, (Malea), their children, Madi, Hannah, Joseph, and Chloe; granddaughter Leigh Ann Stone DeLaney (Brooks), their children Lily, Jackson, and Mack; grandson Cary Stone and his son Trent; granddaughter Brooke Stone Pittenger (Mike), their children Ella and James; and Great Great Granddaughter Nova Owens, and a long lifetime of friends.

“DeDe” was the name her brothers gave her when they were all toddlers in the Norwood community of Birmingham. DeDe attended Phillips High School where she was the Drum Majorette of the marching band. After High School, she went to the University of Alabama where she was a cheerleader for the Crimson Tide. She met Joe at the University and they married in 1948 and started a family in Birmingham.

As Joe rose through the ranks with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms, DeDe was the consummate “stay at home mom”, active in everything that Ronny and Dyxie participated in. A permanent fixture at Cascade Plunge, where Ronny and Dyxie were on the swimming team, DeDe drove the “A Model” there before they opened every day and stayed until after the pool closed. DeDe was active in the PTA, Cub Scouts, and Brownies. She was a founding member of the Birmingham Beautification Board, and active in the Alabama Peace Officers Association Auxiliary, Crestwood Civic Club, and the Metropolitan Club.

Her family will celebrate her life on Friday, December 20, 2019 from 10-11AM at Ridout’s Trussville Chapel with her service beginning at 11 AM. Burial will follow at Forest Hill Cemetery.