Joy Wenger Butterfield

Joy Wenger Butterfield was placed into the arms of Mayme O’Donnell and William Edward Wenger on January 15, 1925 in Monroe, Wisconsin. On March 8, 2021, she was gently delivered into the arms of the Lord. Her time between those two events was chock-full of life. She was appropriately named “Joy”, as she always displayed “joie de vivre.”

Joy was a member of the Gamma Phi Beta sorority at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. At a social which her sorority hosted for servicemen she met the love of her life, Frank Merz Butterfield, who was serving in the United States Air Force during World War II. After Frank was released from the service, Joy and Frank were married on January 19, 1946. Frank completed his education at the University of Maryland while Joy was engaged as a kindergarten teacher. While in Maryland the couple had two children, Frank Merz Butterfield, Jr. and Cynthia Reid Butterfield (Glover).

Joy and Frank spent most of the first thirty years of their married life in Atlanta, where Frank began and conducted his career. During their marriage Frank and Joy enjoyed time together on the golf course and on trips around the world. Joy was a docent at the High Museum of Art and a volunteer at Egleston Children’s Hospital. She was very involved in her children’s schools. She enjoyed her membership in Poppy Garden Club, and later in Sea Island Garden Club, of which she served as President. After vacationing at Sea Island for many years, Joy and Frank moved to full time residence on the island in the 1980’s.

Joy was a trailblazer of love and guidance for her family. The love she had for her family was pure, sincere, and unconditional. She was her family’s biggest cheerleader, always looking for the best in them. She enriched the lives of her family by teaching them how to accept things they could not change. After overcoming the sorrow of losing Frank after fifty-four wonderful years of marriage, she showed them how to handle the devastation of unexpectedly losing a child when her beloved son Jef was tragically killed in an automobile accident in July of 2018. Towards the end of her life, she weathered the stormy seas of the Covid pandemic, deserving a badge of courage for her attitude. Throughout her ninety-six years Joy exhibited an indomitable strength of will and a deep-rooted faith in God, rarely missing a Sunday in Church.

A lifelong bridge enthusiast, Joy loved people and activities involving others. She always concentrated the conversation on you and what you were doing, and she made everyone feel important. Joy was known to ask more than a few questions; the conversation did not suffer when you were with Joy. She was generous with her time and always lent a listening ear. .

Joy was a divine cook who entertained with great panache and was the ultimate hostess. She loved fashion and style and was dressed to the nines, so much so that one great-grandchild asked her why she was so dressed up to go to the post office.

Joy was clever, witty, and maybe a little sassy – always fun to be around. Meme (her cherished grandmother’s/great grandmother’s name) especially loved to play Bingo at the Cloister with her family. Joy cast her social net far and wide and had friends from all over. Her presence was huge, and she will be missed by many.

Joy was predeceased by her husband Frank Merz Butterfield, her son Frank Merz Butterfield, Jr., and two older sisters Kathryn Wenger Olsen and Elizabeth Wenger Collentine. Her younger sister Billie Ann Wenger Kubly survives her. Also surviving are her daughter Cynthia Butterfield Glover (Litt); her daughter-in-law Cecilia David Butterfield; her grandchildren Ashley Peters (Christian), Frank M. Butterfield III (Whitney), Reid Connor (Michael), Caroline Bozeman (Jay), Leigh Gardner (Truett), Bingham Ulsh (Andy), and Littleton Glover (Jenni); the Rybert children Kay Almy, Fritz Rybert, and Alice Bullock; eighteen great-grandchildren; and a host of nieces and nephews.

The family wishes to publicly recognize and thank Robin Dahne who so faithfully and lovingly cared for Joy over the years; Joy treasured the fresh flowers that Robin brought and arranged so beautifully each week. We are also thankful for Pam Madray, Heather Madray and their compassionate angels in the assisted living section of Marsh’s Edge who devotedly made Joy’s last years comfortable; the family will treasure you for the outstanding care that you provided for Joy. We also appreciate the attentive ministration of the staff of Hospice of the Golden Isles. A family mass will be held at St. William Catholic Church. The family suggests that in lieu of flowers consideration be given to donations to America’s Second Harvest of Coastal Georgia (134 Indigo Drive, Brunswick, GA 31525); Charles E. Kubly Foundation (1341 W. Mequon Road, Mequon WI 53092); or a charity of your choice. Edo Miller and Sons Funeral Home is entrusted with arrangements. www.edomillerandsons.com