Cheryl Gay Butler

Cheryl Butler, age 75, who retired in 2004 from The Washington Post as director of recruiting and hiring for the newsroom, died May 21, 2020 at a hospital in Lewes, Del., where she and her late husband of 22 years, Allen Butler. relocated in 2017. He died in 2018. The cause of death was a stroke, said a stepdaughter, Nita Worley.

Mrs. Butler joined The Post in 1981 and held positions in copy editing, news editing and page design before spending the last four years of her career as recruiting director.

She had a strong interest in developing minority journalists and was involved in an editing program for the Robert C. Maynard Institute for Journalism Education, a nonprofit that focuses on coverage of minority communities. She also was a member of the National Association of Black Journalists.

Cheryl Gay Parks was born in Omaha on Jan. 13, 1945, and graduated in 1968 with a degree in journalism from the University of Nebraska. She was a copy editor at the Lincoln (Neb.) Journal and assistant news editor at the old St. Paul (Minn.) Dispatch before joining The Post. She moved to Millsboro, Del., from the District a few years ago.

She is survived by her sister, Carole Samples; beloved step-daughter, Nita Worley; grandchildren, Addison and Harrison; as well as three additional step-children; five step-grandchildren; a dear cousin, Dakara Rucker Wright; close “sister” friends and other relatives. Her first marriage, to John C. Eaves Jr., ended in divorce. A private funeral service will be held.

In lieu of flowers, please send donations to:

Scholarship Fund

Univ of NE Foundation

Cheryl G Butler

0110328

1010 Lincoln Mall

Suite 300

Lincoln NE 68508

800-432-3216

https://nufoundation.org/fund/01103280/

Please view and sign the family guestbook at: www.fort-lincoln.com