June Sylvia (Sauer) Butler

June Sylvia Butler, age 94, of Baltimore, Maryland passed away on April 30, 2021 at Morningside House of Ellicott City. Born in Baltimore, MD, she was the daughter of Jake Sauer & Edna (Hoericks) Spedden.

June had a happy childhood, although her family went without many comforts - as did so many others - during the Great Depression. She remembered hearing President Roosevelt give his famous speech, remembered hearing firsthand the famous words, “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.” He was one of her heroes, and one of her great-granddaughter’s is named after his wife, Eleanor.

While growing up, June enjoyed playing with simple toys, like jacks and jump ropes and paper dolls. She often walked instead of riding public transportation, which allowed her to learn a great deal about Baltimore and led to her lifelong love of the city.

She was in high school when Pearl Harbor was invaded, and worked as an office secretary after she graduated from the celebrated Western High School during its centennial year.

June met her husband Marvin at church in 1946, after he returned from serving with the Navy in the South Pacific during World War II. They had two children, Bruce and Nancy, who June considered to be the epitome of her happiness.

She worked part time at Hutzler’s when her children were young, and was an active volunteer with her church and the childrens’ schools. Once they both entered high school, she worked for a small real estate company that did a lot of appraisals in Howard County during the early years of Columbia, and she found this work to be fascinating.

Her mother taught June many things, including to accept everyone, to be happy, to work hard, and to enjoy life.

She also taught June to garden, leading down through the years to a yard filled with roses, peonies, azaleas, and a holly tree that supplied year-after-year of fresh holiday wreaths for their house and the houses of their children. She grew spices that she used to cook, and Marv grew the best tomatoes she’d ever tasted. He also planted blueberry bushes, and silver queen corn on a plot of land borrowed from a neighboring farmer

. June began painting after her mother died, learning how to paint with oils through classes at a local senior center. She took great joy from this, and gifted paintings to family and friends.

She took politics - and voting - very seriously. She’d research candidates, initially through the newspaper, more recently via radio, and she and Marv spent years working the election polls after retirement. She never missed an opportunity to vote. In her own words, “I do believe it's our obligation. If we want to run the country, we can run it by voting. Get out there and vote.”

June loved her family with every piece of her being. Her face would light up the room as soon as any of them would enter: husband, children, grand-children, great-grandchildren. She took such joy from each and every moment with them, whether it was in person during visits and holidays and celebrations or through window visits during the pandemic.

In addition to her parents, June was preceded in death by her handsome & adoring husband of 68 years, Marvin C. Butler and her brother Robert Sauer.

June is survived by her loving children LCDR Bruce Butler, USN(Ret) (Sandra Bent) and Nancy Parsons (Paul Parsons); grandchildren, Stephanie Eid (Bryan) and Kimberly Davis (Jonathan); great-grandchildren Tyler Eid, Jackson Parsons Cady, Abigail Marie Cady, Mackenzie Anne Davis, & Eleanor June Davis.

A small viewing will be held at Harry H. Witzke Funeral Home on Friday May 7th, 12-2. Covid restrictions will be in place.

In lieu of flowers, those who desire please make a contribution to Gilchrist Hospice or Crownsville MDVA Cemetery in June’s name.  

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