Beneditta "Nita" Marie Paonessa Butler, age 81, of Stillwater, died Thursday, May 23, 2024. The family will host a "Come-and-Go" visitation from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. Tuesday, May 28, 2024 in the Strode Funeral Home Chapel. Mrs. Butler will be buried next to her husband Jim Butler in Sunset Memorial Gardens in Lawton, Oklahoma.

Nita was born on October, 1st, 1942 to Joseph Paonessa Sr. and Helen Mignano Paonessa in Akron, Ohio. She graduated from Garfield High School in 1960. She married the love of her life, Jim Butler, on October 19, 1963 in Akron, Ohio, where they started their family. They later moved to Lawton, Oklahoma in 1978 with the start of the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company that Jim worked for. Nita retired from the Comanche County Court Clerk's office in 2004 and moved to Perkins, Oklahoma, to be closer to her grandchildren. She was a member of St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church in Stillwater.

Nita enjoyed attending workout classes and playing pickleball at Total Health. She made lots of friends there where she was known as the Purple Fox. She loved her weekly visits to see April at the Hair Cottage in Perkins who colored her hair vibrant purple and later deep blue. She enjoyed spending time with her family and friends, shopping, collecting antiques and old family photos, and especially loved jewelry, blingy accessories, purses, shoes and anything Italian! She was an amazing gardener and cook. She treasured her family more than anything and was a devoted wife, loving and generous Mother and wonderful "Nini" to her 3 grandchildren. She had an amazing smile and gentle demeanor. Her friends and family describe her as sweet, beautiful, lovely, special, classy, kind, precious, energetic, spunky, fire cracker, spitfire, filled with fun, wonderful friend and one of a kind.

She is preceded in death by her brother Michael Paonessa, her parents Joseph Paonessa Sr. and Helen Paonessa, and by her husband Jim Butler.

She is survived by her brother Joe Paonessa Jr. of Canton, OH; her sons John Butler of Norman, OK and Joe Butler and wife Michelle of Forney, TX; her daughter Jenni Machala and husband James of Stillwater, OK; and her grandchildren Tanner Robinson and Makenzie Robinson of Stillwater, OK and Melayna Butler of Forney, TX.

Her family would like to thank her care team in the Memory Unit at Legacy Village, the Westhaven Skilled Nursing Unit, and the Stillwater Medical Center Emergency Room.