Richard Buttitta

Anthony Richard “Rick” Buttitta, age 69, of Greensboro, Georgia died Saturday, October 24, 2009. Born in New York City, NY on September 17, 1940, he was the son of the late Cecelia Malloy Buttitta and Dr. Richard Ignatius Buttitta. He graduated from St. Thomas Aquinas High School in Fort Lauderdale, Florida and went to the Citadel for two years. A graduate of the University of Miami in 1963, Rick held various positions in business; from sales representative to corporate executive vice president. Rick had over forty years of experience including marketing, sales, negotiating, and management. While at Transamerica Leasing, he twice received the “President’s Medal for Outstanding Achievement” and in 1994 was the “Employee of the Year”. He was a graduate of the University of Georgia’s Real Estate School. Rick had a unique understanding of how to market your home and secure the best deal possible. He held the Accredited Buyer’s Representative (ABR) Designation, Certified New Homes Specialist Designation, and was a past director of the Lake Country Board of Realtors. He most recently was employed at Sycamore Oconee Real Estate in Eatonton. Rick earned trust and loyalty in all real estate transactions and was known for his hard work and dedication to his job. He was a member of Christ Our King and Savior Catholic Church and the Knights of Columbus in Greensboro, Council 13808, Pope John Paul II, where he was a fourth degree knight. He also enjoyed tinkering with old cars and was a member of Georgia Classic Cruisers. Rick resided in the Lake Oconee area since December of 1998 at Reynolds Plantation with his wife Debra Houle “Debbie” Buttitta and two dedicated furry friends named Einstein & T-Rex. He is also survived by three daughters, Kaleen Edwards and husband Joseph of Dover, NH, Lisa Ann Buttitta of Tucson, AZ and Shannon Caruso and husband Phill of Lemont, IL; grandchildren, Meghan Edwards, Kathryn Edwards, Amelia Caruso, and Aden Caruso; brothers-in-law, Fred Houle of Greensboro, GA and John Palmer of Concord, NC; and a host of other relatives and friends. He was preceded in death by a sister, O’Maureen Palmer. A Funeral Mass will be held at Christ Our King and Savior Catholic Church, 6341 Lake Oconee Parkway, Greensboro, GA 30642 on Thursday, October 29, 2009 at 11:00 a.m. with Father G. Philip Ryan officiating. Interment will follow at Greenview Cemetery, Memorial Drive, Greensboro, GA 30642. The family will receive friends from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Wednesday night at McCommons Funeral Home in Greensboro. In lieu of flowers donations may be made to JDRF Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, 175 Ammond Drive Suite 201, Manchester, NH 03103 or Knights of Columbus Council 13808, Pope John Paul II, 6341 Lake Oconee Parkway, Greensboro, Georgia 30642. McCommons Funeral Home, 109 W. Broad St., Greensboro, GA, (706) 453-2626, is in charge of arrangements. Visit us at www.mccommonsfuneralhome.com to sign the online guest register.

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