Catherine passed away peacefully at home on March 14th, at the age of 96 with her son at her bedside.
She was born in Boise, Idaho to Hubert Nelson Raymond and Florence Schweppe Raymond, moving at age 10 with her mother and younger brother Richard to Pueblo Colorado. At 14 they moved to Riverside California where Cathie graduated from Riverside High School and Junior College. After one year at UCLA Cathie moved to San Francisco where, the late 1940s and 1950s she was one of the city’s top fashion models. She met John H. Butts Sr. from Wichita Kansas whom she married and moved to Phoenix, Arizona where their two children, Kelsey and Phillip were born.
The family settled in Montecito in 1961. Cathie was active in the Santa Barbara Museum of Art, Guide Dogs for the Blind, Women’s Guild at All Saints-by-the-Sea Episcopal Church and Garden Club of America Santa Barbara where she won many awards for her floral arrangements. She was an avid golfer at the Valley Club of Montecito. After John passed in 1993 she married General F. Michael Rogers who predeceased her in 2014.
Catherine is survived by her son Phillip Butts and daughter Kelsey Butts Desmond (Daniel) of Mathews Virginia, four grandchildren, Cameron Desmond of Sacramento California, Carolyn Desmond Angelini (Nick) of Boston Mass., Megan Desmond Wells (Stephen) of Davidson N.C. and Daniel Desmond Jr (Tara) of Mosley Virginia and five great grandchildren. Catherine also is survived by four stepchildren from Michael Rogers and is preceded in death by two stepsons from
John Butts.
Catherine will be laid to rest in a private ceremony next to her husband John Butts in the Santa Barbara Cemetery between the ocean and the mountains of Montecito which they both loved.
In lieu of flowers, friends may remember Cathie through their favorite charity.
