Caroline Kane Phelps Butts

Caroline Kane Phelps Butts, 64, died Thursday, November 04, 2010 at Lower Cape Fear Hospice LifeCare Center from complications due to multiple myeloma. Caroline was born August 8, 1946 in Providence, RI, the daughter of the late Henry Delafield Phelps and the late Harriet Jackson Phelps of Newport, RI. She is survived by her son, James Chestnut Butts, and wife Margaret Thomasson Butts of Wilmington, NC; her son John Nicholas Kane Butts and wife Jacqueline Christine Newton-Butts of Asheville, NC; four grandchildren, Megan, Joshua, Caroline and Kane; her brother Edgar Morris Phelps of Wilmington, NC, her sister Happy Phelps Sobell and husband Steve of Roswell, GA; her close friend and cousin, John Nicholas Wilson; her former husband, David Rogerson Williams Butts; and a host of devoted and loving family and friends living near and far. Caroline graduated from UNCW in 1984 and completed her MS in Rehabilitation and Substance Abuse Counseling at ECU in 1994. Besides her MS, Caroline was certified as an LPC, CRC-MAC, LCAS and opened her private practice specializing in substance abuse problems, anxiety and panic disorders, life transitions and other issues at Alpha Counseling Center in 1996. Caroline was deeply involved in the arts community, serving on the board of the former St. John's Museum, now Cameron Art Museum. She was on the board of Creative Wilmington, producers of Pedestrian Art and Art for the Masses. She supported DREAMS of Wilmington, Cucalorus, First in Families of Southeastern NC, the Ability Garden at the North Carolina Arboretum, the ARC of North Carolina, Caring Hearts and she was a strong advocate for the Wilmington Arts Council. She was a passionate collector of Outsider Art and a wonderful friend to local artists. A memorial to Caroline's love of life will be celebrated at the Cameron Art Museum on Thursday, November 11, 2010 at 2:00pm. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Caroline's name to the Cameron Art Museum, 3201 South 17th Street, Wilmington, NC, 28412.