Joan Butterfield, actress and teacher

Joan Hanna Butterfield of Leesburg, Fla., an actress who had lived, taught and performed in Ridgefield, died Monday, Jan. 28, in Clermont, Fla. She was 69 years old.
Ms. Butterfield was born in Worcester, Mass., the daughter of Samuel and Blanche Sullivan Hanna, natives of Northern Ireland who had immigrated to this country.
She was a woman of many interests. A certified nurse’s assistant with a master’s degree in education, Ms. Butterfield had, over her career, also been a singer, dancer, actress, model teacher, and writer. She appeared on television, radio and the stage, performing in roles that ranged from Shakespeare and Tennessee Williams to Adelaide in “Guys and Dolls.” Years ago, she told an interviewer in 1991, she had gained “considerable popularity and publicity” as Zaka, a “provocative Mid-East dancer,” appearing in nightclubs in Washington, San Francisco and Los Angeles.
In 1980, Ms. Butterfield began researching, writing and performing in a series of one-woman shows that covered such wide-ranging topics as Northern Ireland, Charles Dickens, Maud Gonne, Abraham Lincoln, and Valentine’s Day. She often performed at the Ridgefield Library and before community organizations in the region. “I want to preserve the great men and women of letters,” she said. “I enjoy the research. I enjoy performing. I enjoy sharing my talents — whatever they may be — with others.”
Ms. Butterfield moved to Hobby Drive in 1985 and almost immediately became active in the community, serving as a publicity writer for such organizations as the American Association of University Women and the League of Women Voters. For several years she was involved in the CROP Walks to fight hunger, and was the walk chairman in 1990. She was also active in Habitat for Humanity and AmeriCares.
Ms. Butterfield had taught acting, speech, and interpretive dance, and for several years was a yoga instructor for the Ridgefield Adult Education program. She had a long interest in yoga. “Our body should be our servant,” she said. “Then we have more time for the intellect.”
She was also a member of the Masters Swimming program. She had belonged to the Fairchester Players and, in Leesburg, the Melon Patch Players.
In recent years, Ms. Butterfield had lived at Fox Hill condominiums. In 1998, she moved to Leesburg.
Her survivors include a son: Grant C. Butterfield of Danbury; and a brother: Robert Hanna of Auburn, Mass.
Ms. Butterfield had been a member of St. Stephen’s Church, and a memorial service will take place there at a time to be announced, possibly in late February.