June Anne Butler's Obituary
June Anne Butler
(Chung Chang Ju)
November 15, 1931 - January 20, 2026
Celebration of life
10am March 2, 2026, Visitation 9:30am
Mililani Mortuary Downtown Chapel
It is with great sorrow that we mark the passing of June A. Butler (94) beloved mother and halmoni on January 20, 2026 at home surrounded by her family. Her enduring legacy, shared with her predeceased husband Henry Wallace Butler, are their children Henry Butler, Marguerite Higa, and Suzanne Lee, and grandchildren Raine Higa and Madison Lee. She is survived by siblings: Chung Hae Ju (97, sister), Chung Tae Won (91, brother), Chung Dong Ju (sister), Chung Kyung Ja (sister), Chung Tae Gun (80, brother), and Chung Yon Ju (77, sister). June was in equal parts a community builder, homemaker, supporter of Korean culture and anyone in need and she will be dearly missed.
June was born on November 15, 1931 in Taegu, Korea to Chung Jae Ho (father) and You Young (mother), the second child of seven. Born during the Japanese occupation of Korea at a time of cultural and language erasure, Mom told us of living through war and famine when there was not even rice to eat, and being forced to instantly study in Japanese, yet never expressed bitterness and would marvel at our lives in Hawaii. Her father Jae Ho was a Judo master, but her uncle was a military or intelligence officer affiliated with the Chinese Army. During the war her family fled persecution for a time to Beijing, China where she attended Peking Nippon-Dai Ichi Middle School (1943-6). Returning to Korea she attended Taegu High School (1946-9). After graduation she moved to Seoul and studied English at Sook Myung Women’s College (1954-6). She loved speaking with people and was fluent in Mandarin, Japanese, and her native Hangul (Korean).
June worked as a clerk typist for the U.S. Eighth Army Headquarters in Yongsan, where she met the love of her life in 1965. Mom joked that she "looked for the ring", his West Point ring. June and Henry (Hank) Wallace Butler married in 1968 in Seoul and again in 1972 in Honolulu. Mom made a beautiful home for our family and was always busy. In Seoul, she took an interest in dressmaking, and hired a master to teach her patternmaking and sewing, and made most of our clothes until the late 70’s. When she gave birth to Henry at the Swedish Red Cross Hospital which later became the National Medical Center in Seoul, a young doctor noticed symptoms of polio in Juneʻs youngest sister. June shared that her younger brother was worse, and he encouraged her to bring him too. By friendly chatting, she got life-saving polio treatment and later surgery for her siblings. She also assisted in the purchase of a home for her parents.
In 1974 June and Hank moved the family to Hawaii, where they settled in Mililani. Our family outings changed from hikes to mountaintop temples and picnics to weekend drives around the island and beach days. June was a genius at landscaping and commissioned a lava rock wall, and designed and planted a bonsai and rock garden. She was an amazing cook, but she didn’t learn from her mother because June was busy working as a young woman. She learned how to make dad’s American comfort foods from the Betty Crocker card catalog and read books on Korean cooking. There were no Korean markets on Oahu in 1974, so she made her own kimchi, which is really difficult to do well. But Mom’s was so delicious that for years friends and neighbors came to learn from her. Adjusting to American life was joyous and hilarious. Dad explained that didnʻt need potatoes AND rice for dinner, and "whatʻs that smell?!" as dadʻs nose discovered the kimchi she hid under the table. We quickly learned that lunch with mom was so much tastier than bland "American" dinners of the time. It turns out Hank wanted to be stationed in New Jersey, but Honolulu was his second choice! Thank goodness for the family as we learned Hawaii no ka oi! And June loved Hawaii.
Tragically, Hank passed away just a few years later in 1979 at the age of 47 after a battle with cancer, leaving June a young widow with three children to raise. It was a time of deep mourning for all of us. Mom was unlike other parents of the time, Asian or otherwise, and truly listened to us, as we emerged from our mourning and tried to advise mom as best we could on matters of taxes, benefits paperwork, and all manner of American bureaucracy. Mom was nothing if not resilient. She managed the legacy our father left wisely. Ever the shrewd manager, she grew her nest egg through a series of astute and well-timed real estate transactions and supported her children and grandchildren through college, business ventures, and through all of our endeavors.
Mom was a community builder. There were few Koreans in Mililani when she arrived, so she would seek new people out as they arrived and welcome them into a growing circle of friends. She visited, loved to entertain with lunch parties, often involving song and cooking. Mandoo wrapping parties would produce hundreds of mandoo to divide and share. June organized "kye" or Korean money sharing clubs for mutual financial support and community building, and even made direct loans to help a friend in need. She was an early member of the Korean Baptist Church in Mililani, and later the Antioch Baptist Church in Pearl Ridge, where she taught bible study and enjoyed fellowship for many years. She dearly loved her church communities and was a devoted member. June also enjoyed hula class for decades and was passionate about exercise, as a lifetime member of 24-hour fitness, where she was a regular in the Zoomba classes until Covid-19 brought an end to her daily routine in her eighties.
June was a devoted mother and grandmother and supported each of us unconditionally. We were as far apart in years as we were in interests, yet she had deep personal relationships with each of us. Henry went on to work in construction management, Marguerite became a biologist and professor, and Suzy an esthetician and business owner. She was finally blessed with grandchildren at the age of 70 with Raine, and at 83 with Madison. She was a devoted grandmother who loved nothing better than playing with her grandkids, attending sporting events or performances, and never forgot a birthday, graduation, or celebration of any kind. Throughout her life, she was happiest when surrounded by family.
What’s your fondest memory of June?
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Share a story where June's kindness touched your heart.
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