Bonnie Butera

A passive nature, appetite for reading, and her order of birth blended to make Bonnie the matriarch of her family as she helped raise her two younger sisters. The knowledge she gained through reading and her nurturing way with her sisters certainly laid the groundwork for Bonnie to devote her life to education. Her life helped thousands of children and educators through the SLD Learning Center.

Bonnie Butera, long time educator with the Kalamazoo Public Schools died Friday March 7, 2003 after a twenty-seven year battle with liver disease.

She was born January 16, 1947 in Benton Harbor the daughter of Stanley and Nevada Smith. While Bonnie was growing up, she enjoyed the adventures of exploring the western part of the United States with her family. Her early travels blossomed into a life long enjoyment of venturing around the world. When exploring different lands Bonnie immersed herself in the culture, philosophy, religion and experiences; including plays and musicals. Her appreciation for life grew ten fold from her exposure to these new found worlds.

Her appreciation of the arts found its roots during her high school days at Benton Harbor High School where she played the clarinet in the band and became thoroughly engrossed in her religion and philosophy courses. Bonnie also became acquainted with a classmate named Dennis Butera. They were high school sweethearts and little did they know that their lives would forever be connected. After graduating with honors from high school in 1965, Bonnie went on to Lake Michigan College where Dennis was a student and later she was awarded an academic scholarship to National College of Education, currently Lewis College, to pursue her teaching degree. In 1969 she graduated with a degree in education and in the fall of that year, she and Dennis were married on October 11 in Benton Harbor.

Like most newly married couples, Bonnie and Dennis looked on their new life together as if it were an adventure. They moved to Kalamazoo and Bonnie began her teaching career as a substitute teacher and later began teaching full time at Roosevelt school. A few years later, Bonnie and Dennis were blessed with their most precious treasure, a daughter they named Amy. Bonnie stopped teaching full time to stay home with Amy. Much of her time was spent staying active and involved with all of Amy’s activities while she was growing up. Bonnie not only wanted to make sure that her daughter’s quality of life was second to none but to ensure a friendly and warm environment for Amy’s friends to be a part of as well.

In 1982 after Amy was older, Bonnie felt the classroom calling her and she began working at the SLD Learning Center where she found her passion fulfilled by teaching children with learning disabilities to read and write. This work was fulfilling for Bonnie because these were two of her favorite pastimes. Bonnie found her nitch teaching at the SLD Center where she eventually became the Director of Education and Training. She was not only recognized as an expert in her field by her peers but was also remembered by the thousands of students whose lives she touched.

Because of her dedication to her work, Bonnie did not have time to join clubs. She also did not have a huge circle of casual friends but instead kept a small group of very close friends that she was extremely devoted and loyal to. She was sure to include her friends along with her family in the many rich holiday traditions that she held so dear. This was evident in the careful search for the “just right” meaningful gift at Christmas or the making of ginger bread houses. These represented only a few of the activities Bonnie ritualistically and lovingly carried out year after year that turned Christmas into a month and a half long event.

The love of family that Bonnie had grew even more intense on July 4, 2001. Amy announced she was eight weeks pregnant and Bonnie was going to become a grandmother. The birth of Hannah Rose reenergized Bonnie. She eagerly began imparting her love of reading and knowledge by starting a collection of baby books for Hannah. The collection grew so fast that Dennis crafted a bookcase just for those books.

Having Hannah come into her life gave Bonnie the added incentive to continue to fight through her liver disease. As she waited for a donor, Bonnie never gave up on her hope for a transplant to happen. Surely her last wish was for everyone to consider becoming an organ donor.

Members of Bonnie’s family include her husband Dennis; her daughter Amy Koffler and her husband Nathan of Portage; her granddaughter Hannah Rose Koffler; a sister Jean Renfro and her husband Richard of Findley, OH; three nephews; Jason, Kyle and Aaron; a sister-in-law Linda Severt and her husband Brian of Las Vegas, NV; and her father-in-law Joseph Butera of Benton Harbor.

Friends will be received at the Betzler Funeral Home Sunday from 5 to 8 p.m. A Celebration of Life Service will take place Monday at 10:30 a.m. at the Unity of Kalamazoo Church. Food and fellowship will follow the service at Hope Reformed Church. Please visit Bonnie’s personal web page at www.lifestorynet.com where you can share a memory, make a memorial contribution to the SLD Learning Center Bonnie Butera Fund c/o the Kalamazoo Foundation or order flowers online.