Mary Louise Butler

Mary Louise (Rasche) Butler, 87, passed away peacefully in Greenacres, Fl, on Friday, May 22.   Mary was surrounded during her brief illness by her husband Dave, her family and her devoted Pine Ridge friends. Along with Dave, her wonderful husband of 24 years, Mary is survived by her four daughters Jill Hoffman, Judith Klein, Patricia Genzardi, Mary Jo Armand and their spouses John Hoffman, Michael Klein, Joseph Genzardi and John Armand, and ten adored grandchildren, Daniel Martin, Edward Pavone, Timothy Klein, Chloe Johnson, Terrence Klein, Cathryn Pavone, Nicole Genzardi, Briana Armand, Patrick Genzardi and Margaret Klein along with six great grandchildren. Mary is predeceased by her parents C. Edward Rasche and Margaret M Higgins, her sister Carol Vercammen and cousin John Carlson.

Mary was born in Brooklyn, NY  but shortly thereafter the Rasche family relocated to her beloved Kingsbridge, The Bronx where Mary attended St. John's elementary and Cathedral High School, Manhattan. She remained in The Bronx until 1961 when her own young family made the move from city to the suburbs and settled for 40 years in New City, NY. Kingsbridge and her friends from the neighborhood where an integral part of the fabric of Mary's life until her final days. After retiring from a 30 year career with the Rockland County Legislature, Mary and Dave spent their time making dear friends and cherished memories in NY, the Jersey shore and  Florida. The pair enjoyed traveling the globe, cruising frequently with friends and touring the sites and pubs of Ireland.

The greatest joys of Mary's life were her Catholic faith, her friends, and her family, immediate as well as the vast Higgins clan. She was an active parishioner of St. Augustine's, New City for 50 years  On any given day, Mary could be found at water aerobics or mah jong in NJ, at the club house or the casino with the gang at Pine Ridge 3 or spending a day in NYC with her childhood friends. But Mary's most cherished role was that of Gram. Whether a graduation, concert, play, prom, awards dinner, football, soccer or baseball game, from NY to Florida, from NJ to Rhode Island to New Hampshire, she was there leading the cheer. No venue was too far and no event too small for Mary and Dave. Mary was known to all simply as Gram.

A celebration of life will be held at a later date at St. Augustine's church.  Mary's family requests that in lieu of flowers donations be made to Cathedral High School or Birthright of Rockland County.