She had a strong interest in developing minority journalists and was involved in an editing program for the Robert C. Maynard Institute for Journalism Education, a nonprofit that focuses on coverage of minority communities. She also was a member of the National Association of Black Journalists.
Cheryl Gay Parks was born in Omaha on Jan. 13, 1945, and graduated in 1968 with a degree in journalism from the University of Nebraska. She was a copy editor at the Lincoln (Neb.) Journal and assistant news editor at the old St. Paul (Minn.) Dispatch before joining The Post.
She moved to Millsboro, Del., from the District a few years ago.
Her first marriage, to John C. Eaves Jr., ended in divorce. Her husband of 22 years, Allen Butler, died in 2018. Survivors include four stepchildren; a sister; and seven grandchildren.
Obituary via the Washington Post: https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/obituaries/cheryl-butler-washington-post-recruiting-director-dies-at-75/2020/05/24/d4c3017c-9dd3-11ea-9590-1858a893bd59_story.html
