Dispute erupts over former Cook County Commissioner Jerry Butler's burial plans
The Brief
A dispute has arisen over Jerry Butler's burial plans, with his family struggling to gain access to his body for a memorial service.
Tony Butler, his son, has been unable to view his father's body since his death on Feb. 20, with a caregiver preventing the family from making arrangements.
The family is urging the caregiver to allow the body to be part of the memorial service on March 12, while the caregiver plans to proceed with a burial on March 7.
CHICAGO - Jerry Butler, a Rock & Roll Hall of Famer and former Cook County commissioner, passed away nearly two weeks ago, but a dispute has emerged over who controls his final arrangements.
What we know
Butler's family is grieving his death, compounded by additional stress.
His son, Tony, is organizing a memorial service for his father. However, the family's attorney says Butler's caregiver is preventing the family from having access to his body for the service.
Tony said he hasn't been able to view his father's body since his death on Feb. 20, and that he was also denied access to see his father for eight months leading up to his death.
Butler, who recorded his first hit in 1958 at age 16 with Jerry Butler and the Impressions, earned the nickname "The Iceman" for his calm demeanor.
What they're saying
"A decent human being would say, 'family, what do you want? Give the family access to the home.' They have pictures of them with their father and their mother and we're only lucky right now that because we planned her service, I still have a lot of those photos so that we can move forward," said family spokesperson Teresa Griffin. "But for them to not have even access to go into the home, for finalization, is so sad."
"She started getting rid of all of his family. They used to come by and then she stopped opening the door. She made sure if they called, she would screen his calls," another family member said.
What's next
The family's lawyer said the caregiver once claimed to be Jerry's niece but now refers to herself as a friend, as identified in Butler's will.
The family is urging the caregiver to allow Butler's body to be present at the memorial on March 12.
The caregiver is planning to bury him on March 7.
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