Nona Miriam Angel Butterworth

Nona
Miriam Angel Butterworth
Mrs. Butterworth, a well-known artist and resident of Charlotte, NC died on August 25th, 2011. Nona was born on January 28, 1929 in Spartanburg, SC, but was raised in Asheville, NC. She was the daughter of the late Joyce Beatty Angel and James Oscar Angel. She graduated from Lee Edwards High School in 1947, attended Randolph Macon Women's College, Lynchburg, VA 1947-1949, the Ringling School of Art, Sarasota, FL 1949-1950, and the Art Student's League in New York City 1950-1951. She married James Ebert Butterworth, Jr. on December 18, 1954 and moved to Chestnut Hill, PA in 1956 where her three children, James E., III, Alison, and Joy were born. The family returned to Charlotte in 1967.
The most important thing in Nona's life was her family. She is survived by her husband Jim, her son Jimmy and his wife Shawn Butterworth, their children Charlie and Julia; her daughter Alison and her husband States Lee, and her children Drew, Harrison, and Madison Phillips, and his children Madison, States, and Martin Lee; and her daughter Joy and her husband Bob Groya, and her children Alex and Lauren Vesano. She will be remembered as a loyal friend, nurturing mother and loving wife. Besides her parents, she was predeceased by her brother James Angel, her sister Lutrelle Wishart, and her niece Sondra Wishart Bryner.
Her enthusiasm for the arts encompassed all the arts. As a music lover, she was an accomplished pianist who loved to entertain at parties, or for 'sings' around the piano at home. She sang alto in church choirs for 31 years and in the Oratorio Singers of Charlotte for 22 years.
Her most consuming interest was in painting and teaching art. A recognized regional artist who participated in countless juried shows, frequently winning awards in watercolor, she had over twelve one-woman shows in Charlotte and in upstate New York, where she and her husband spent their summers in their beloved Adirondack Mountains. She taught watercolor at CPCC for 15 years, at the Mint Museum, and privately for 20 years. Her work is found in corporate and private collections, primarily in the south and northeast. Nona was active in the Mint Museum of Art in many capacities. A long-time docent, she was a member of the Mint Museum Auxiliary of which she was a former vice president, president of The Friends of the Mint, and president of the Mint Museum Collector's Circle. She led art tours abroad for fifteen years. She loved exploring the world, and found travel to far-off countries stimulating and educational.
As a play enthusiast, Nona acted in multiple local theatre productions in Charlotte, winning the best supporting actress award of 1987 at Theatre Charlotte for her role as 'Big Mama' in 'Cat on a Hot Tin Roof.' She also served as president of the Charlotte Writers' Club, and wrote feature articles for The Charlotte Magazine for four years.
Gardening and beautification of public areas were also important to Nona. She instigated the beautification and the planting of the median strip in the 1400 block of Queens Road West, Charlotte, and her garden club, The Flower Trail Garden Club, was awarded 1st prize in a citywide competition.
She was a member of Christ Episcopal Church, Junior League of Charlotte, Guild of Charlotte Artists, Watercolor Society of North Carolina, Charlotte Country Club and the Ausable Club, St. Huberts, NY. She was listed in Who's Who of American Women. She will be remembered as a talented Renaissance woman actively involved in the arts. She loved life and lived life to the fullest.
A service to celebrate the life of Nona Butterworth will be held at Christ Episcopal Church at 10 a.m. on Monday, August 29, 2011. The family will receive friends immediately following the service in the Blue Room at the church. A private burial will follow in Asheville, NC. Memorials may be made to the Mint Museum of Art, 2730 Randolph Road, Charlotte, NC 28207, or to Christ Episcopal Church, Charlotte, NC. T.H. Robertson Funeral Service Lic. is serving the family of Mrs. Butterworth. www.throbertson.com.