Gamecock fan who made first visit to Williams-Brice while battling cancer dies
Gloria Butler, the South Carolina football fan who warmed hearts with her reaction to receiving tickets to her first Gamecock football game last year, has died after a battle with cancer. She was 69.
Butler died Tuesday morning, according to her daughter, Mandy Power.
“I still haven’t been able to find the words to express myself,” Power told The State on Wednesday. “There’s no words to describe it. My mama was my life, and it’s gonna suck a whole lot with her not being here. But I know she’s finally pain-free and cancer-free, and she’s able to walk again. And I’m thankful for that.”
Power said they will have a memorial service, and although plans have not yet been finalized, she said they will likely ask attendees to wear garnet and black — her mother’s favorite colors.
A lifelong Gamecocks fan, Butler had never attended a game in Williams-Brice Stadium. Last August, she was diagnosed with Stage 3 lung cancer and given six months to a year to live.
Power and her fiancee wanted to make her mother’s wish of attending a game in Columbia come true, and he purchased tickets to the Texas A&M game in October for her birthday. A video of Butler’s reaction went viral and prompted offers from people wanting to contribute to Butler’s day in Columbia.
Former Gamecocks defensive lineman Ulric Jones joined in on the effort and guided Butler and her family down the Gamecock Walk and through a tour of the stadium before the game.
“This has always been my dream, and I wouldn’t ask for nothing more than this right here,” Butler said after being pushed in a wheelchair down the Gamecock Walk before the game. “I’m just glad I got to see it before my life ended.”
That day, Butler was given a signed football that was used by the team in their practice before the game, and a Gamecocks jersey signed by the coaching staff. The jersey and football were with Butler in her hospice room before she died, Power said.
“It was still one of the best days of my life. It definitely helped the process be a little easier,” she said of the day in Columbia with her mother. “I just want them to know how thankful we were, all the prayers, all the support. It definitely means a lot. My mama was very appreciative, and she definitely wouldn’t want anybody to be sad or hurt over this.”