Obit – Dorothea Butts

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Dorothea Jean “Toodie” Waters Butts

January 10, 1924 – February 10, 2020

Dorothea Jean “Toodie” Waters Butts was born January 10, 1924 in Vancouver, British Columbia to George Howard Waters and Jean Fortune Muir Waters.

The family, which also included her brother, Ken, lived in Point Roberts. The nearest hospital was in Vancouver.

From the age of nine until graduating from Magee High School, Toodie lived in Vancouver during the week with her uncle Ed and auntie Catherine Wilson. Her cousins Cash and Marilou Wilson became her sisters. She had many fond memories and felt that she developed her sense of humor and learned good manners while living there.

After high school she got a secretarial job at Western Washington University. One Saturday night she went to the Burlington Strawberry Festival with some friends. There she met Vern Butts. He had already signed up to go into the Marines and soon after he was off to basic training.

In 1944, at age 20, she took a train by herself across country to Florida, where they were married before Vern left to go overseas. It was a marriage that lasted 73 years.

After the war, they moved to Portland, Oregon where Vern taught PE and Health and coached at Grant High School. Toodie was an “at home mom” until it was time to help the kids go to college. She worked as a school secretary at several schools in Portland, Oregon.

Besides raising four children, she volunteered for PTA, spent two years as a Campfire Girls leader, belonged to Coaches Wives, played bridge, and was a regular member and spent countless hours volunteering at St. Mathews Episcopal Church in Parkrose. In retirement, Toodie also volunteered for the S.M.A.R.T. Program and Meals on Wheels.

Almost every summer Vern and Toodie would take the kids to Point Roberts to stay with Toodie’s mother. Shortly before Vern retired in 1980, they built their own cottage in South Beach. For the next 30 years, they spent their summers at that “little piece of heaven.” They always loved having family and friends come to visit.

She was always a wonderful, welcoming, fun-loving, gracious and classy lady.

Dorothea Jean “Toodie” Waters Butts died peacefully in her sleep at age 96 on February 10, 2020. She was predeceased by her husband, Vern. She is survived by her children Kathleen Farlow (Larry), Michael Butts (Vicki), Jeffrey Butts (Kimberly), and Christopher Butts (Monique), her grandchildren Jesse Butts, Katie Uhacz (Andrew), Zack Butts and Brandon Butts, and her great grandchildren Landon and Mason Uhacz.

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