William Marion “Butch” Page was born on July 31, 1917 in Columbus, Georgia to Roger McKeene Page and Louise Olivia Seals. He has an older brother, Roger McKeene Page, Jr., and two sisters, Anne and Nettie. Page was a graduate of Columbus High School in 1934 and a graduate of the University of Georgia Law School in 1939. He was admitted to the Georgia State Bar in 1938. While at UGA, Page was a member of Sigma Nu, Phi Delta Phi, Demosthenian Honors, Omicron Delta Kappa, and the Varsity Debate team.

In 1941, Marion Page enlisted in the U.S. Army and assigned to the 66th Armored Regiment which saw combat in Sicily, Europe, and North Africa. He exited the military in 1946 with the rank of Major.

Marion Page married Lucy Quillian, born August 26, 1918, in 1941 in Manatee, Florida and together they had three children – John Roger, William Franklin, and Jane. Lucy enlisted in the Women’s Army Corps (WAC) in November 1942 as an Aviation Cadet.