Charlotte K. Butcher

The birth of Charlotte (Char) Butcher brought great joy to her family during the Great Depression. Char was William and Elizabeth Negus' only daughter and youngest of three children. In childhood, she was close to her grandmother and namesake (daughter of one of Lompoc's founding families) and often vacationed at her family's property in St Helena.

Char visited all 50 US states and lived in many of them but California was always home. After finishing college, Char married Curtis Butcher, a US Soldier, on March 3, 1958, in Santa Barbara, and grew their family with four daughters and a son.

Char was a warrioress and the heart of her family. She showed great strength and tenacity as she raised five young children while Curtis was on postings, including to the Vietnam war (1968 and 1971), and as a single mother after Curtis' passing. She was resourceful and resilient and not one to complain.

Char was passionate about social justice, the environment, and tenets of her faith such as kindness, love and forgiveness. She had fortitude and was unafraid to tackle challenges to do the right thing. She was kind, generous, open-minded, inclusive, compassionate and caring. If someone were going to be alone for Thanksgiving, she'd invite them to join her family. She shared her love of the outdoors as she taught her children the importance of environmental conservation through gardening and regular camping trips. She enjoyed various travels with family to Mexico, the Bahamas, and across the US, Canada and Australia.

Char was a woman of many talents. She took delight in painting, mosaics, pottery and sewing, and attending live performances and art classes with family. She was an avid reader and enjoyed computer activities, proving to be more tech-savvy than many in younger generations.

Char worked for Drs. Neal, Dixon, and Brown; served on the Board of the American Red Cross – Silverado Chapter, and was an active member of the United Methodist Church of St Helena (UMCSH) for nearly 50 years. She was strongly committed to charitable work and volunteered for disaster preparedness at the American Red Cross and as UMCSH Grapevine Editor and Financial Secretary.

Family was of utmost importance to Char. She had endless and immense love for, and was tremendously proud of, her children and grandchildren. Char considered her life's greatest accomplishments to be her five children.

She is survived by her daughters: Natalie DiMaio (Ben DiMaio), Diana Ganni (Otello Ganni), and Rebecca Harker (Terrance Harker); and son, William Butcher (T'Anne Butcher); and six grandchildren and one great-grandchild. She is predeceased by her daughter, Allison Farley; husband, Curtis; and brothers: Art and Richard.

May she forever rest in love and peace.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the American Red Cross or the United Methodist Church of St. Helena.

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