Mary Anne Patton Butler-Birnbaum, 96, of Columbus, Georgia, passed away peacefully on December 29, 2024. She was born in Atlanta, Georgia, April 30, 1928, to Montine Robinson Patton and Dr. Lewis Suddeth Patton. She was a graduate of Miss Porter’s Finishing School and Athens High School, Athens, Georgia. In May, 1947, she obtained her Bachelor of Art’s Degree from Wesleyan College in Language with a concentration in French and Spanish. She was married in September, 1947 to the late Jack Allen Butler, Sr., and moved to Columbus. In May, 1993 she married the late Joseph “Jack” Birnbaum. She was a member of Cornerstone Baptist Church in Ellerslie, Georgia, where she faithfully attended Sunday School and Church. She had a strong Christian faith and actively participated in Precept Ministries’ Bible studies for over 30 years.
During her lifetime she worked hard to achieve success in the insurance industry working as an agent with New York Life Insurance Company for 52 years. She earned her Certified Life Underwriter (CLU) and Chartered Financial Consultant (ChFC) designations through the American College of Financial Services.
She fiercely loved her family and held them close. As “matriarch” she loved cooking family Sunday lunches, organizing and cooking family birthday dinners and family holiday events insuring everyone was present.
When not working, she enjoyed playing the piano, writing music, judging flower shows, playing board games, tennis, and bridge with her friends.
She loved attending performances at Atlanta’s Fox Theatre and our RiverCenter for the Performing Arts, both for Broadway plays and the Columbus Symphony, as well as performances at the Springer Opera House. She was actively involved with these as well as the Historic Columbus Foundation and the Junior League of Columbus where she held numerous leadership roles and was an Emeritus member. She loved traveling abroad as well as vacationing at the beach and in the North Georgia and Western North Carolina mountains. She was an avid UGA and Atlanta Falcons fan. Particularly during college football season, she could be seen wearing her UGA shirt, cheering on her DAWGS.
She leaves her memory to be loved and cherished by her daughters: Leslie Patton Butler and Mary Anne Butler Brocato (Andre’) both of Columbus; her daughter-in-law Cherie Allgood Butler (Jack) of Athens, Ga; her grandchildren: Michael Shaun McGarry (Stacy) of Columbus, Jack Allen Butler, III (Jennifer) of Atlanta, Elizabeth Anne Butler Alig (Zack) of Athens; and Wyatt Christo Brocato of Nashville, TN; her great-grandchildren: Ian Michael McGarry of Athens, Anna Jane Hunter of New Jersey, Casey Shea Hunter of Atlanta, Solomon Cole Alig and Juniper Eve Alig of Athens; her nieces and nephews: Lewis Lester Wheeler (Lisa) of Greensboro, Georgia, Clare Ogletree Anderson and Richard Slade Ogletree of Atlanta, Betsy Butler Ramsay (Al) and Stephen Turner Butler (Kent) of Columbus. Mary Anne was preceded in death by her parents, Montine and Dr. Lewis S. Patton; her husbands Jack Allen Butler, Sr. and Joseph “Jack” David Birnbaum; her son Jack Allen Butler, Jr.; and her sister, Dorothy Patton Wheeler.
Funeral services will be held on Friday, January 3, 2025, at 11:00 AM in the Edgewood Hall of Striffler-Hamby Mortuary, 4071 Macon Road, Columbus, GA 31907 with Dr. Kevin Calhoun and Reverend Ray Sutton officiating. Family will visit with friends from 10:00 AM until 11:00 AM prior to the service in Edgewood Hall of Striffler-Hamby Mortuary. A private burial with family will follow the service in Parkhill Cemetery. The family is grateful to her caregivers for the past 3 years at Covenant Woods, the Oaks at Grove Park and Orchard View Rehabilitation Center. In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorial donations be made to The Wynn House at www.thewynnhouse.com, in memory of Mary Anne Patton Butler-Birnbaum.
