Frank Butler Featured in The Ocala Pickleball Club July 2024 Spotlight

Frank was born and grew up in Gainesville, Florida. During his childhood and adolescent years, he worked with his family in the car radiator business. As a youngster, Frank enjoyed spending time fishing with his father. In high school, Frank enjoyed competing in sports. He played both baseball and basketball. Another important part of his family life was growing up in the church. In fact, his grandfather was a minister and well respected in the local community.

After high school, Frank was accepted and attended the University of Florida where he majored in Political Science. While attending college, Frank continued to work both at his family’s radiator shop and as a waiter at night to earn extra income. After receiving his degree from UF, Frank moved to St. Petersburg, Florida, and enrolled in the Stetson Law school to become an attorney. After law school, Frank passed his Florida Bar in 1992 and began practicing Maritime and Boating Law. Later in 1995, Frank opened his own Law Office in Pinellas County, Florida, named The Frank Butler Law Firm. He practiced multiple areas of law including accident and injury law.

In 2017, Frank and his wife Melody moved to Marion County and bought a home on the north shore of Lake Weir in Ocklawaha. They continued to live in both Marion County and Pinellas County while running two law Offices they have built together, including a satellite office in the Villages. Melody currently serves as the law firm’s Office Manager.

Frank is very proud of the fact that as an attorney, he has never worked directly for a large corporation or insurance company. His passion is to help the “little guy”. He routinely takes on cases that other law firms will not get involved in because they are not lucrative enough for them. Frank truly cares about helping those who need assistance but can’t afford the exorbitant fees and costs that the bigger firms charge to their clients.

Both Frank and his wife Melody enjoy playing pickleball. Frank’s early beginnings in pickleball were to play indoors and then during the Covid pandemic he began playing outdoors. He currently plays multiple times per week in various locations like Leesburg, Pictona at Daytona Beach, St. Petersburg, and Cohadjoe Park in Ocala. He enjoys pickleball as a fun, socially interactive activity that can mutually bond people together despite their religious, personal, and political beliefs. Frank believes pickleball can bring people together, especially now that we are so polarized as a country. He estimates that he meets around 500 new people each year while playing pickleball. Moreover, Frank likes the health benefits that pickleball offers while playing.

Frank and Melody have three children, five grandchildren, and two golden retrievers. His family enjoys spending time boating together.

Spotlight feature was written by Ocala Pickleball Club member Mike Netherclift.

If you would like to recommend someone to be recognized for our spotlight feature, please contact Mike at [email protected]

You can read the article on the Ocala Pickleball Club’s site by clicking here.