(1935-2024)

If someone in Miami in the late 1980s ever had a reason to interact with Chaplain Beth Butler of the Miami Police Department, he or she would likely have been surprised to discover that the trim woman in the blue police uniform was a nun.

But police work ran in the Butler family. Sister Beth’s father, Vincent, was in the Detroit Police Department for 25 years, and a cousin was a police officer as well. In a 2019 interview for a publication produced by Dominican Hospital, from which she had just retired, she said, “My father was a police officer. My mother was a saint. As I always say, when you put the two together, you get a Sister in criminal justice!”

Beth Ellen Butler, born on February 28, 1935, was the middle child of five born to Vincent and his wife, Margaret Cowhy Butler. She followed Robert and a sister, Donalda, and preceded two more brothers, Michael and Terry.

The family lived on Detroit’s west side, where Beth attended Coolidge Elementary School for her first six years of education and then went to Our Lady Gate of Heaven School for seventh and eighth grades. It was there that she met the Adrian Dominican Sisters and found herself drawn to “their spirit of joy, their excellent teaching,” and the fact that “they were always happy.”

Read more about Sister Beth Ellen

Memorial gifts may be made to Adrian Dominican Sisters, 1257 East Siena Heights Drive, Adrian, MI, 49221. 

Sister's Memorial Card (PDF)

Enjoy this inspiring interview with Sister Beth Ellen

 

Vigil and Funeral Recordings

Recording of Sister Beth's Vigil Service - After clicking the link, download the recording by right-clicking on the video choosing "Save video as." Worship Aid (PDF)

Recording of Sister Beth's Funeral Mass - After clicking the link, download the recording by right-clicking on the video choosing "Save video as." Worship Aid (PDF)

 

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