Dr. Thomas J. Buttery, age 79, of Clarksville, passed away peacefully in his home on August 16, 2026. Dr. Buttery was born on September 25, 1946, in Jersey City, New Jersey, to the late Herbert Buttery and Dorothea Buttery. Dr. Buttery was a longtime Professor of Education at Austin Peay State University and a nationally respected teacher, educator, scholar, academic leader, and mentor, whose career in education spanned more than four decades.

Celebration of Life will be held at 11am, Thursday, August 20, 2026, at McReynolds-Nave & Larson Funeral Home. The family will receive friends from 5 P.M. to 7 P.M. on Wednesday August 19 at the funeral home, and again on Thursday from 10 A.M. until the hour of service. Burial will follow at Greenwood Cemetery.

Dr. Buttery began his professional life in the classroom where he would remain, in spirit, throughout his career. He taught elementary school in Union, New Jersey, and at Indiana University’s laboratory school before beginning a distinguished career in higher education. He earned his bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education from Kean University, two master’s degrees from Indiana University in Recreation and Outdoor Education and Elementary Education, and his Ed.D. in Curriculum and Instruction from Indiana University. He later completed postdoctoral study in Reading at the University of Georgia.

His academic career took him to the University of Georgia, the University of Louisiana at Monroe, the University of Alabama, East Carolina University, Fort Hays State University, and, ultimately, Austin Peay State University. Along the way, he served as professor, department chair, director of graduate studies, Dean of the College of Education and Technology at Fort Hays State University, and Dean of the College of Professional Programs and Social Sciences at Austin Peay. Wherever he served, Dr. Buttery devoted himself to the preparation and development of teachers and to strengthening the profession to which he gave his life’s work.

Dr. Buttery’s influence extended far beyond the universities he served. He was nationally elected President of the Association of Teacher Educators for 1994–1995 and served the organization for decades in numerous leadership capacities. In 2008, he was named a Distinguished Member of the Association of Teacher Educators in recognition of his lifetime of service and professional scholarship. Among his many honors were two ATE Distinguished Research Awards in Teacher Education, Academic Excellence Awards from the University of Alabama’s Capstone College of Education Society, Kean University’s Outstanding Alumnus in Education Award, and national recognition from the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education for his work as a co-editor of the landmark second edition of the Handbook of Research on Teacher Education. Most recently, in 2026, he was bestowed the Duane C. Lang Distinguished Mentoring Award by the Association of Teacher Educators.

A prolific scholar and editor, Dr. Buttery wrote and collaborated on works addressing teacher preparation, clinical supervision, middle-level education, literacy, parent and community involvement, professional writing, and the emotional well-being of children and educators. He was an editor of American Middle School Education, served on numerous editorial boards, and later edited the SRATE Journal. His scholarship reflected not only a rigorous intellect, but also a persistent concern for those at the heart of education.

Perhaps fittingly, one of his earlier works was his volume on Death Education: A Concern for the Living. In its concluding passage, it was reflected that “as life passes for each human being, there are beginnings and endings, sunrises and sunsets … life can become more beautiful and fulfilling.” Those words offer a particularly meaningful reflection on a life spent helping others learn, grow, teach, and find greater possibilities in themselves and in those entrusted to their care.

For his colleagues and former students, Dr. Buttery’s legacy will live not simply in the positions he held, the awards he received, or the scholarship he produced, but in generations of educators shaped by his teaching, mentorship, leadership, and unwavering commitment to the profession of education. His was a life devoted to teachers, and through them, to the countless children whose lives good teachers touch.

Dr. Buttery was preceded in death by his wife, Nancy Caldwell Buttery. Together, they were the parents of three children, Kathryn Stamey, Thomas J. Buttery, Jr. (Jennifer), and Ashley Hunt (Nathan). He raised all three children on his own since Nancy’s death in 1992. He was a dedicated father until the very end. He was also the proud grandfather of five, Amelia, Cooper and Claire Stamey, Pierce and Caroline Hunt. He is also survived by his sister, Patricia Scott. He loved attending their sporting events and extracurricular activities and was proud of all their accomplishments. He was also a dedicated Alabama football fan and Indiana basketball fan, so the color crimson was always easy to find in his house.

Online condolences may be left at www.navefuneralhomes.com