Fourth generation Nevada County native, Robert (Mike) Butler, grew up in the 1930s in the rough and tumble of a sprawling sheep ranch. With his six siblings, he learned early the lessons of rural life, responsibility and a strong work ethic. Following his Naval service in WWII, Mike returned to his hometown, married, raised a family, and looked for a way to pass on his values.
For Mike, 4-H was the ideal youth organization for boys and girls to learn the values of leadership and service. So in 1960, Mike embarked on the personal mission of teaching and mentoring 4-H Club members who, like him, would pay it forward in the future. Mike served for 19 years as the director of the Placer-Nevada County 4-H Club Camp at Cisco Grove in the high Sierra.
Mike and Karen married in 1982 and retired from 4-H to enjoy their home, garden, and time together. Nearly 30 years passed “in a flash,” Karen says, before age began to creep up on Mike who was 16 years her senior. Soon, Karen was caring for Mike through a series of ailments. In the fall of 2011, Mike underwent a serious surgery which was followed by a slow physical decline. By February, Karen knew she needed help with Mike’s care, medications, diet, and other daily needs. She called Hospice of the Foothills.
Karen remembers the relief she and Mike felt when the Hospice care team came alongside them in their home. “We were comforted by their presence and finally at peace with Mike’s condition. Hospice reinforced our belief that this is how life goes; there is nothing to fear. Mike was comfortable and alert until the last day of his life.” Mike passed away peacefully at home in August 2012, at age 86.
Following his death, Karen honored her husband’s memory through a generous gift to Hospice of the Foothills. A portion of her donation was designated to two Hospice of the Foothills’ endowments: the Community Service Fund that supports HOF community services including bereavement programs, at no cost, for those in the community grieving the loss of a loved one; and the Compassionate Care Home Fund that supports patient care and services in Hospice’s in-patient residence.
“Mike would have wanted to pay it forward,” Karen reflected recently: “To pass on the gifts of community values and caring compassion from which he benefitted. That’s what he had been teaching the kids at camp for 19 years. It’s a good feeling being able to help others in our community receive the compassionate care and support Hospice gave us.”