June 8, Uschi Butler, 85, passed gently away at home from kidney failure with her husband, Bill, beside her.

An accomplished interior designer/business owner, local arts champion and Native American advocate, she changed the scene in Hampton Roads and New Mexico.

Her corporate and residential contemporary designs won acclaim. As head of the Tidewater Society of Performing Arts, Uschi brought in mind-expanding artists. She served on the board of the Virginia Arts Festival and D’Art in Norfolk plus Performance Santa Fe. In earlier years, Uschi was very active with the Feldman Chamber Music Society.

She helped spearhead several defining programs for the Virginia Museum of Contemporary Art including hosting the esteemed glass artist, Dale Chihuly and his work; the Art of Glass II, Andy Warhol, and the Magna Carta showing.

Yet, most true to her heart was supporting Native American culture. Uschi served on the National Council of the National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, D.C. where she was a founding member and 35-year supporter. In Santa Fe N.M. Uschi volunteered with the Southwest Association of Indian Arts, producer of the Santa Fe Indian Market, the nation’s oldest Native American art market. She was also a tireless supporter of Santa Fe’s Museum of Indian Arts and Culture.

An active and purposeful Native American art collector for over 40 years, Uschi helped jumpstart many such young artists.  

Uschi was born in Germany during the early years of WWII. After finishing studies in architecture design at the University of Munich her adventuresome spirit brought her to the United States where she met her first husband, Larry Mednick, skiing in upstate New York. 

Uschi married Bill Butler in 1993 and their lives, focused on family, community involvement and adventure continued.

Uschi and Bill traveled extensively, skiing throughout Europe and scuba diving in the Pacific and Indian oceans, Caribbean, Mediterranean and Red Sea. She camped in the Serengeti, Mali and Ethiopia and trekked through the Tibetan Himalayas and Bhutan. 

Sailing was another passion – chartering boats throughout the world in which Uschi was the accomplished crew, and Bill captain.

After retirement, they spent winters in Buenos Aires, summers in Europe, many autumns in Asia and relocated to Santa Fe N.M. in 2015. Following covid they returned to Virginia Beach where they lived comfortably in the welcoming Atlantic Shores Senior Living community.

She is predeceased by her father, mother and stepfather. Left to carry forth her legacy are her sons Michael and Andrew Mednick, stepdaughters, Jennifer Reynaldo (Brian), Elizabeth Butler, and Katie Land (Cam), 9 grandchildren, whom she dearly loved, and 2 great granddaughters, plus many cousins in Bavaria.

A celebration of life is planned for a later date. Tributes can be made to the Virginia Museum of Contemporary Art, the Virginia Arts Festival or the Santa Fe Museum of Indian Arts and Culture. 

Cremation Society of Virginia is assisting her family during this difficult period.