Edna Elizabeth (Butler) Holdsworth

daughter of the late Henrietta Theroux Butler Hartley and the late Thomas Leonard Butler, died on Saturday, August 15.

Born on November 6, 1920, Edna’s life was a triumph of positive outcomes in the face of  difficult circumstances. At the age of 7, she was diagnosed with osteomyelitis in her right leg which led to numerous operations, including extensive experimental bone grafts performed by Dr. Murray S. Danforth.  Edna blessed Dr. Danforth every day of her life for saving her leg.  She received the last rites of the Roman Catholic Church twice before she was 10, as she was not expected to survive the severe infections that she suffered.  Edna was cared for at the Crawford Allen Children’s Hospital where she lived for five years.  Her experiences left her physically scarred but emotionally and spiritually strong.  During this time, Edna developed a lifelong love for reading and learning about the world.

Edna left the hospital with her leg intact, but soon faced another tragedy as her father died unexpectedly in the midst of the great Depression, leaving her mother alone to raise their six children.  Edna was unable to finish her schooling as she had to go to work in the lace mill industry to help support the family.  She was a valued worker as her deft sewing skills made her one of the few employees with winder skills which were needed for lace factories to function. When the lace industry moved offshore in the early 1970s, Edna became the first seamstress at Kent County Hospital.  She flourished once again in this position, as she was able to sew and mend just about anything that was handed to her.  Edna also developed a love for hand-stitched quilting and served as the second president of the Narragansett Bay Quilters Association. She remained an active member long after her term of office.  Edna and her sister, the late Dorothy “Dot” Eramian, worked together on part of the AIDS quilt that was displayed in Washington, DC in 1987.

Edna was quite adventurous throughout her life.  In her later years, she traveled extensively with Dot, mixing up cruises with trips to Europe and visits to America’s heartland.  Edna’s love of reading, playing Scrabble and rooting for the Red Sox never diminished.

Edna is survived by her brother Robert Butler and his wife Rose of Auburn, Mass., and her son, Dr. Mark Holdsworth of Sandia Park, New Mexico.  She was also predeceased by her brothers Richard and John Butler, and her sister Rita Boisvert.  Edna leaves many nieces and nephews across the United States and her devoted Scrabble partners in Rhode Island.  Her entire extended family thanks the staff of The Cedars for their care and love during Edna’s years in residence and especially in recent months since the COVID-19 visitor shutdown.

Relatives and friends are invited to attend her Mass of Christian Burial on Saturday, August 22nd, at 10:00 a.m. in St. Gregory the Great Church, Warwick. Burial will take place in St. Mary’s Catholic Cemetery, West Warwick. Her visiting hours are respectfully private. In lieu of flowers, please honor Edna’s life by reading a good book, learning to play Scrabble or making a donation in her memory to Hasbro Children’s Hospital through the RI Hospital Foundation Development Office, PO Box H, Providence, RI 02901.

One of Edna’s favorite poets was Emily Dickinson.  This excerpt from her work, chosen by Edna’s son, sums up Edna’s outlook on life:  “ In a serener Bright, In a more golden light, I see, Each little doubt and fear, Each little discord here, Removed” From I have a Bird in spring by Emily Dickinson. Visit NardolilloFH.com for online condolences.