Elynor Elizabeth Butler Hamilton (lifetime nickname of “Dibba”) passed away on December 8, 2024. She was the daughter of the late George Washington Butler, Jr. and Eva Sue Etheredge Butler of Jonestown. She was born in Memphis and was a Virginia resident since 1979.
Dibba graduated from Florida State University with a Bachelor of Arts in Dance. She then earned a Master of Arts (MA) in Dance from Texas Woman's University and an MA in Theater from the University of Mississippi, where she met her beloved husband of 51 years, Colonel (Retired) Benjamin M. Hamilton. She taught dance for many years on the college level, directing performing dance groups and choreographing college musicals, and then taught locally at the Academy of Ballet in Virginia.
Dibba was active in several community associations and in her church until her death. She loved visiting many enchanting places with her late husband and continued to travel near and far after his death in 2015. Her happiest times were those spent with her granddaughters, and she cherished extended family vacations at the Outer Banks and Bald Head Island, N.C. Dibba and her beloved circle of friends continued to enjoy many fun gatherings and weekly outings until her death.
Dibba is survived by her daughter Margaret Sue Hamilton Brown and her husband, Edward, of Richmond, Va.; granddaughters Ella and Tessa Brown; her sister, Suzy Hutton of Seal Beach, Calif.; children of her late husband, Ben Hamilton, Jr. of Rego Park, N.Y., and Laura Hamilton of Hendersonville, N.C.; step-grandchildren Sarah (Lane) Jenks and Rachel Hamilton; and beloved cousins in her original home state of Mississippi.
A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. on Saturday, February 1, 2025, at Emmanuel Episcopal Church, 179 East Mercury Boulevard in Hampton, with The Rev. Rhonda Wheeler officiating. Burial will follow at Arlington National Cemetery where Dibba will be reunited with her husband. Memorials in lieu of flowers may be sent to The Friends of the Hampton Library, 4207 Victoria Boulevard, Hampton, VA, 23669, or to a charity of your choice.
