ANNE M. BUTCHER
July 8, 1938 ~ April 22, 2015 (age 76)

On April 22, 2015, our much loved Anne Meredith was called home by the Lord. Anne lived a much fulfilled life which included her loving family and friends.

She was born July 8th, 1938, in Los Angeles to Edward and Laverne Tetley. Anne was an only child who grew up with her three first cousins and was partly raised by her loving grandmother, Leila Johnson. Anne graduated from St. Mary's Academy for Girls in Los Angeles. The family lived for much of her teenage years in Manhattan Beach. She would help the family business, a hardware store in Inglewood, and also helped her grandmother at the beauty shop in Manhattan Beach.

In 1958, Anne suspended her desire to get a degree in English Literature at El Camino College to marry James Francis Butcher. Over the next six years, Anne gave birth to three children: James Edward, Julia Anne and David Andrew. When not working as a stay at home mom, Anne was spearheading a cause to save the Centinela Park from being developed by the city of Inglewood, where Anne and Jim lived with the kids. Her efforts gained momentum, and eventually the park was saved. The L.A. Times credited Anne for helping to save the park, which is still enjoyed today by the citizens of Inglewood and surrounding areas.

In 1971, Jim and Anne moved the family to the Newbury Park area of Thousand Oaks. There she befriended the other stay at home moms in the newly developed neighborhood. She built strong lasting friendships with them and regarded them all as some of the kindest people she’d ever met. They called themselves "The Groupies" and even after they moved away, they continued to have an annual Christmas reunion for over forty years.

Anne continued her love of helping children by working for the Conejo Valley Unified School District for many years as a teacher’s aide, working with special needs kids at various schools in the district. Always looking for a cause, Anne became Treasurer for the CSEA local union. She later retired from the district and union.

Anne then dove into genealogy with a passion. She made several trips to Salt Lake City, other states across the U.S. and even Europe, documenting the Tetley and Butcher family tree. Anne wrote monthly articles for a genealogy online newsletter. Since she was spending so much time at the local public library, Anne decided to volunteer there, even when she could no longer walk. Also during this time, Anne hosted a monthly writing group at her Newbury Park home.

Anne's greatest devotion was reserved for her husband Jim, her three children, and five grandchildren.

Anne's ashes will be interned alongside her parents and grandmother at Conejo Mountain Memorial Park, 2052 Howard Road in Camarillo. A memorial service and reception will be held there on Friday May 1, 2015, at 11:00 A.M.

In lieu of flowers please, consider a donation, in Anne's name, to English Springer Rescue America.

[Source: Conejo Mountain Funeral Home and Memorial Park, Camarillo, CA]