Amrette passed away on December 16th at the age of 86. Born in St Louis, Missouri to Charlotte Webb Ott and Wallace E Ott. Amrette grew up in Menlo Park, CA and spent summers with family in Shelbyville, Tennessee. She graduated from Menlo Atherton High School and later received her AA degree from the College of San Mateo, where she met her first husband. As a young woman, Amrette modeled for Sunset Magazine and was quite the beauty queen, often taking top honors. She married John Cordell in March of 1957 and they raised three daughters, Dawn, Catherine & Elizabeth in Palo Alto, CA during their 23 years of marriage. Amrette was an extraordinary homemaker who juggled cooking, gardening and a home-based tailoring business. As her children got older, she joined the professional workforce. Amrette was always passionate about helping others and was an active member at Grace Lutheran Church, the DAR, PEO volunteered at Gamble Gardens. She Married Gerald “Jerry” Butler in 1985 and gained three more adult children, Steve, Sandy, and Scott. Amrette and Jerry moved to Michigan where they attended the Emanual Lutheran Church in Ypsilanti, MI. Together they enjoyed boating on Belleville Lake, and extensive travels They returned to the Bay Area in 1996 where they delighted in retirement together.
Amrette is survived by her brothers Charles (Carol), and Doug (Zenia), her three daughters Dawn (Ray), Catherine & Elizabeth, and Jerry’s children Steve (Mindy), Sandy (Keith), & Scott (Debbie). Her grandchildren Courtney, Nicholas, Andrew, Brooke (Kim), Morgan (Anthony), Jimmy, (Olivia), Becky & Jenny and her great-grandchildren Parker, John, Silas, Benjamin, Madison, Joseph, Brandon, and James.
Amrette’s funeral will be private and she will be interred at Alta Mesa. May Amrette rest in peace……Read more by The Mercury News