Ella Mae Butler

1922 - 2016

Ella Mae Butler

Ella Mae Butler passed away peacefully with her family on May 21st, 2016 at her home in San Francisco, just a few months short of her 94th birthday. She struggled with dementia for several years and experienced a health problem that hastened her passing. We were able to bring her home from the hospital where she lived for 12 more days.

Ella Mae was born in New Orleans, LA on July 29, 1922 to Gula Calhoun and Albert Meggs. When her Mother remarried, her new husband adopted her and her surname became Griffin. The family moved up to Chicago where she attended DuSable High School. After high school she went out to visit her beloved "Aunt Goldie" in California. After that visit she decided she wanted to move back to California. She worked and saved her money and moved to California. It was on a blind date that she met her future husband, San Francisco native James (Jimmy) Butler. They were married 50 years before Jim's passing in 1997. They raised their two daughters Celeste and Kimberly in San Francisco.

When her children grew older she decided to go back to school and get her real estate license and then her broker's license. She sold many homes to people who later became her friends.

Ella Mae and Jim loved going on cruises, traveling the world and were always planning the next one. After Jim's death, Ella Mae continued taking her cruises solo until she could no longer go on her own.

Ella Mae is survived by her two daughters, Celeste Mullen (Thomas) and Kimberly Garrison (Jeffrey) and her adored grandson, Todd Garrison. Ella Mae is also survived by her remaining siblings, Margaret Griffin, Gula Burch and John Kaho and numerous nephews, nieces and cousins. She was preceded in death by her husband, parents and brothers William B. Griffin and Eugene Griffin.

Our family would also like to offer its deepest gratitude to her caregivers who became more like family to her than caregivers, Hannah Deuel, Josivini Tokalauvere and Temura Raturoba. They gave our Mother the best quality of life at the end. From the long car rides she enjoyed, to shopping and going out for meals up until a month before she was still very active with them.

A celebration of her life will be held at a later date. Please email us at: Ellamaebutler47@gmail.com for further information.