Obituary of Diane Butler

Maria Gordana Diane Butler was born in Belgrade, Yugoslavia (now Serbia), in 1969, and spent her first year in an orphanage.

She was adopted by Everett (Bud) and Lucie Butler, a Canadian couple stationed in Belgrade where Bud worked security for the Canadian embassy.

His job took them all over the world, and Diane's formative years were spent in places as diverse as Greece, Israel, Romania and India. She developed a passion for horses while riding with Ghandi's grandchildren in India, even playing polo with them at the Delhi Polo club

An exceptionally bright child, Diane spoke seven languages: English, French, Hebrew, Hindu, Greek, Slovenian, and a bit of Arabic.

Never one to back down from a challenge, she also learned Spanish later in life, often watching telenovelas late at night to improve her Spanish skills. At times, Beth caught her watching French procedurals to brush up on her French.

Diane absorbed culture like a sponge, always displaying an insatiable curiosity and interest in everything. She was a true polymath. Her fascination with the world never wavered. She could have a conversation about absolutely anything-ranging from cow behavior to the politics of Europe in the 1980s.

She used her wealth of knowledge and experiences to make a positive impact, sharing her insights and wisdom with others.

As a result, she made friends from all walks of life and was known to strike up conversations with strangers that led to life-long relationships.

Diane came to the United States in high school. After graduating, she attended Ryerson University in Toronto during which she also spent time living and studying in London.

She had a career in film editing in her 20s. That job that led her to Beth; her partner for over 30 years.

Diane and Beth both had a passion for horses which brought her to their next chapter in life – Squirrelwood Equine Sanctuary (SES) in Montgomery, New York, https://www.squirrelwoodequinesanctuaryinc.org/.

They would spend the next several decades establishing and maintaining the 92-acre not-for-profit farm sanctuary, which is home to horses, cows, donkeys, pigs, sheep, goats, dogs, cats, and a very noisy cockatoo.

Animals in need gravitated to her - even wildlife knew she was trustworthy. Songbirds would land on her in the garden, raccoons would bring her their babies, and notoriously shy feral cats would end up in our living room.

Her other lifelong passions, photography and music, were important to her, but the sanctuary and all its inhabitants, including Beth, came first.

Diane was a fierce champion of kindness, fairness and hope towards all living creatures. She strived for equality in all aspects of life, tirelessly promoting all that she fought for. The life of a farmer is hard, not just on your body, but on your mind and your heart. Through all of the ups and downs, Diane never wavered from her mission. She did the work of ten people, up until the minute she died suddenly on January 22.

She is not only survived by Beth, her animals, and too many friends to count, but she is also survived by those whose lives she saved through organ donation. Despite the toll on her body through years of backbreaking work, Diane hung on through life support to allow her organs enough time to recover to be donated-her generosity will live on indefinitely.

Let us honor her magnificent legacy by rejecting hate, ignorance, and malice, and focus on making the world a more beautiful place, as she did throughout her life and beyond.

Please support her life's mission, SES, so that all creatures great and small continue to know safety and love.

A Celebration of Diane's Life will be held at Squirrelwood Equine Sanctuary on May 31, 2025. A benefit concert is being organized in her honor by Neko Case. Details will be released as they become available.

In lieu of flowers a donation to her Squirrelwood Equine Sanctuary.