Ruth Butler

Ruth Diane Butler, née Cadwell, was born on January 13, 1935, in Cassville, WI, the beloved daughter of Clarence and Margaret Cadwell. On February 19, 1955, she married the man who couldn’t live without her, Patrick Butler, beginning a partnership of devotion, laughter, and faith that would shape the lives of everyone who entered their home. Ruth passed from this world into eternal rest on June 5, 2026, and if you happened to look up at the Madison sky that Friday evening and witnessed an extraordinary lightning show, that was Ruth herself, arriving in Heaven on the birthday of her son Stuart, marking her homecoming the only way she knew how: with celebration.

Ruth and Pat were blessed with five children: Julie (Bob) Wipperfurth of Windsor, WI; Hawley (Teal) Butler of Windsor, WI; Stuart (Alice) Butler of Token Creek, WI; Chris (Lisa) Butler of Seminole, FL; and Jodie Wing of Blaine, MN. She was the proud grandmother of 12 grandchildren, and known with great delight as Gigi to 15 great-grandchildren, with 2 more on the way. 

Ruth spent her early career as a hairdresser, and long after her shop days were behind her, the work continued right in the kitchen, where friends and family would settle into a chair and leave not only with a fresh hairstyle, but with Ruth's warmth, her counsel, and usually a cookie. For many years she also served the children of Madison through Food Service with the Madison Metropolitan School District, feeding the community that she so deeply loved.

Together, Ruth and Pat raised their five children in Madison, and their home became the kind of place where every child on the street wanted to be. The kitchen was the heartbeat of the house. The cookie jar was never empty, Ruth baked three or more batches of chocolate chip cookies nearly every week, for years and years. Family meals gathered everyone close, and birthdays were made truly special: each child got to choose their own favorite meal and a homemade birthday cake. These were not small gestures. They were Ruth's language of love, spoken fluently and daily.

As a mother, Ruth provided the steady, loving structure that grounded the family through the rhythms and demands of Pat's ever-changing work schedule. She was the axis around which the household turned, reliable, present, and full of grace. She was so universally cherished that she became "Mom" not only to her own children, but to all who passed through her door. That was simply who she was.

In retirement, Ruth and Pat embraced life with open arms, living in Las Vegas, Branson, MO, Punta Gorda, FL, Nixa, MO, and eventually finding their way back to the Wisconsin they loved, settling in DeForest. From there, they traveled extensively across the United States and around the world, collecting memories, making friends, and marveling at creation.

Ruth was a woman of profound faith. She lived it quietly and completely, and said the rosary each day without fail. In her final chapter, she called Parkside Assisted Living home, where she did what she had always done: made friends, made people feel seen, and made every room a little warmer with her presence.

Ruth is survived by 4 of her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren and her sisters Judy and Mary. She was preceded in death by her husband, Patrick; her brother, Loren; and her son, Stuart.

The Butler family wishes to express its deepest gratitude to the staff at Parkside Assisted Living, whose kindness and care made Ruth's final years truly feel like home. We are equally grateful to the nurses, doctors, and staff of the Emergency Room and Palliative Care unit at UW Hospital, who guided our family through her last hours with compassion, dignity, and grace.

In lieu of flowers, the family kindly asks that memorials be made to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11:00 a.m., Thursday, June 18, 2026 at St. Olaf Catholic Church, 623 Jefferson St., DeForest, WI. A visitation will take place one hour prior to the Mass, from 10:00-11:00 a.m. at the church. Burial will be at St. Olaf Catholic Cemetery.

For more information or to leave a memory, please visit: www.ryanfuneralservice.com

Ryan Funeral Home & Cremation Services

Windsor/DeForest Chapel

6924 Lake Road

608-846-4250