Yvonne Carla Matthews Butler

On a sunny Saturday morning, February 22, 2014, Yvonne Carla Matthews Butler peacefully departed this world to be with the Lord, surrounded by family and friends, at Gilchrist Hospice Care, Columbia, Maryland after battling a short and unfortunate illness. Yvonne (Bonnie to family and friends) was born on March 15, 1949 in Baltimore, Maryland. She was the third child of Robert William Matthews III and Vashti Turley Murphy Matthews (both deceased) and is survived by her four siblings: Robert Murphy Matthews, Sr., Martha Elizabeth (Betty) Murphy Matthews Schuler, LTC (Retired) Rodger Murphy Matthews, and Carl Chester Matthews, her step mother, Kathleen Matthews in addition to nieces/nephews:Bobbie Evon Padgett, Donne Elizabeth Lewis, Robert Matthews, Jr., Jenesta Elizabeth Murphy Matthews, Rodger Murphy Matthews II and Rayna Matthews, cousins,and grand and great -grand nieces/nephews. Like her siblings and Murphy cousins, Bonnie was baptized and confirmed at the St. James Episcopal Church by the late Bishop Cedric E. Mills. In 1996, Bonnie gave her life to Christ and joined the Adams Chapel African Methodist Episcopal Church (where her first cousin the Rev. Dr. Marie M. Phillips Braxton was the senior pastor). Our Bonnie was a vivacious, engaging, and enthusiastic lady of many dimensions. She was educated in the Baltimore City School System where she graduated from Forest Park High School in 1967. She took piano lessons at the Peabody Preparatory School of Music for a few years, and then decided she liked playing the flute better(which she learned at Forest Park). Following high school, she attended the University of Maryland then Morgan State College where she earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Political Science. In her early career, she served in a number of positions for the Afro American Newspaper (founded by her great grandfather) including being the AFRO’s Mrs. Santa. In 1972, she began her sales career as a local retail Account Executive, moving on to National Account Executive, Assistant to the Vice President of Advertising and finally Baltimore Advertising Sales Manager in 1982. She was a4thgeneration Board of Directors’ member of the AFRO. For a brief stint, she worked at the Baltimore Sun Paper as an Account Executive in the National Advertising Department making her both the first African American and first woman to work in national advertising for the Sun. Bonnie was a lover of all music (jazz was her favorite), entertaining, and the social scene. She wrote about music events through her columns in the AFRO and later in her entertainment news magazine, Baltimore Enfocus, where she served as its Publisher/Editor. In 1998, Bonnie changed her career path and she went to work for the Treasury Department, Internal Revenue Service, starting in their Call Center. Through her penchant for helping others, she ultimately became a Union Steward for NTEU 62 then later served as Executive Vice President; both positions she enjoyed as she advocated for both employees and management in a non-adversarial relationship that worked to the betterment of all parties. She received numerous awards and recognition and retired after 15 years of Federal Service on August 31, 2013. During the final months of her life, she dedicated herself to fulfilling her wish to have a Murphy First Cousins Reunion. Her first cousin, the Rev. Dr. Frances “Toni” Draper shared an example of Bonnie’s ability to pull people together. “A few months ago, we learned that our beloved Bonnie was battling life-threatening illness. In one of our conversations last fall, Bonnie (the effervescent promoter and entertainment guru extraordinaire) told me, ‘The most important thing I’d like to do while I’m able is to have a first cousins’ reunion.’ In December, a weekend reunion was held, the first in decades.” For most, this Reunion is a cherished memory of “Our Bonnie”. A memorial service will be held the eve of what would have been her 65th birthday, beginning with the family hour, 1 p.m., March 14 at March Funeral Home, 4300 Wabash Ave, and with the memorial following at 1:30 p.m. Interment will be private. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to Gilchrist Hospice Care, 11311 McCormick Road, Suite 350, Hunt Valley, Maryland 21031 or a charity of your choice.

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Yvonne Carla Matthews Butler

March 15, 1949 - February 22, 2014