Salt Lake City, UT - Mary Ann Butcher was born in Cedar City, Utah, to Zealand Joseph Murdock and Metta Marie Thompson. She was raised in Cedar City, and graduated from Cedar High before attending The College of Southern Utah. While attending school, she was a dedicated employee working several jobs, including secretary to Fred Adams, founder of the Utah Shakespeare Festival. Mary always enjoyed being among friends and meeting new people. Mary loved Zion National Park and would visit there numerous times with her family.

It was in Cedar City that she met the love of her life, Steve W. Butcher, and they married in the Salt Lake Temple soon after. They moved from Cedar City to Salt Lake where Mary supported her husband in building their first home, a four-plex in Salt Lake City, while she was pregnant with twins. They would go on to welcome two more children just 16 months apart before having their last child a few years later. They raised their family in their Sandy home that Steve built for them, back when there were very few homes in the area. Mary quickly learned the art of juggling as she navigated the rigors of motherhood with five young and active children. Despite not having much time to herself, she was an avid reader and enjoyed playing the piano. She made sure each of her children took lessons in piano and other musical instruments and encouraged her grandchildren in music and the arts as well.

Mary was a woman of many talents. She was talented with her hands, creating beautiful handiwork. She lovingly sewed multiple blankets for each of her six grandchildren before they were born. Her two great-grandchildren now have the privilege of enjoying her labor of love that was handed down. We cherish the items she created by hand for each of her children and grandchildren. She had an amazing green thumb and was a plant whisperer, known to revive many a plant that had been neglected. She had a special love for cactus, succulents, and the desert landscape.

A faithful member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, Mary was a true follower of Christ. She was a wonderful listener and made friends easily, as they confided in her often. She had a delightful sense of humor, which lightened others and helped her to deal with some of the difficult physical challenges she faced later in life. She struggled for many years from an earlier stroke and was so grateful to her loving and devoted husband who cared for her every need up until the time that she passed. She had a remarkable memory and loved to share stories from earlier times.

Mary found great joy and fulfillment in raising her family, but still found time to serve and give back to others. She was an extremely generous, kind, and loving person, giving of her time and resources and encouraging others to serve. Her greatest joy in life was her family, and they were her focus. She would always want to know what they were involved in and how she could support them, even with her physical challenges later in life. She was a devoted wife and mother who sacrificed much so that her family and others would have more.

Mary is survived by her loving husband, Steve, her children, Kim (Chris) Schmutz, Darcy Butcher, Steven (Jennifer) Butcher, Greg (Meleen) Butcher, six grandchildren, two great grandchildren, and her brother, James (Connie) Murdock, as well as other cherished extended family members. She was preceded in death by her parents, Zealand Joseph Murdock and Metta Marie Thompson, as well as her beloved son, Douglas Butcher. To honor her wishes, there will be an intimate family gathering as she requested no services.

The family wishes to thank all those who cared and showed love and support to Mary, especially in her final days. We greatly appreciate the family, friends, and neighbors who have reached out. We would like to offer a special thank you to the wonderful hospice nurses and support staff with Rocky Mountain Healthcare and Hospice who took great care and provided support and comfort in such a difficult time. We are both heartbroken and at peace as we know she is free from the pain she endured for so many years. She will be extremely missed and never forgotten as she blessed the lives of so many.