Two of the nicest, most wonderful people it was ever my privilege to know were Daws and Myrtis Butler. Daws was, of course, the great cartoon voice actor who spoke for countless characters but the best-known would include Yogi Bear, Huckleberry Hound, Mr. Jinks, Hokey Wolf, Quick Draw McGraw, Baba Looey, Snooper, Blabber, Augie Doggie, Captain Crunch, Elroy Jetson, Wally Gator, Lippy Lion, Peter Potamus and the list goes on and on and on. He was also one of the nicest men I ever met…the kind of person you feel privileged just to meet once, let alone really know. Daws died in 1988.
Equally wonderful even if she didn't do a zillion voices was his wife of 45 years, Myrtis. They met during World War II in Washington D.C. He was serving in the Navy. She was working at the Pentagon. They wed and moved to Los Angeles in 1945 where Daws quickly became a much-employed actor in radio, animation, records and other fields where one is heard but not seen. Daws teamed with Stan Freberg in 1949 for Bob Clampett's pioneering TV show, Time for Beany, and Myrtis reportedly helped make some of the puppets.
Photo by Jackie Estrada
She and Daws had one of those perfect marriages where each is obsessed with caring for the other. She supported his career and later in his life when Daws taught his amazing Voice Workshops in the guest house behind their Beverly Hills home, she played Den Mother to his students. They included many who went on to become top voice actors of the generation after Daws.
I have just learned (thank you, Georgi Mihailov) that Myrtis passed away last November 15 at the age of 101. I wish I'd known at the time so I could have attended the services and posted this more timely. One of Daws' students, the late Earl Kress and I used to go over and take her to dinner occasionally but after Earl left us in 2011, I only did that once and then it became one of those things you keep meaning to do but never quite get around to doing. We did invite her to the June Foray Memorial in September of 2017 but were told she was not well enough to attend. I had to say something here, better late than never. She was a great, great lady.