Halloween celebration planned for ‘costume queen’

Sandra ClarkObits

Ramona Ann Didier, who died on June 29, 2022, at age 81, is a part of Knoxville’s lore.

The daughter of Ruth and Donald “Big Don” Buttry, she ran the family business for 40 years, best known for Big Don’s Elegant Junk in the Old City.

But she was so much more.

“Ramona earned a bachelor’s degree in French with a minor in musical theater at UT. She taught voice, piano, French and Spanish; owned three boutiques (where she was a trendsetter with her own clothing designs); sang in a combo band; and was a finalist in the 1959 Miss Knoxville pageant,” according to her obituary.

“Ramona worked as the costume designer for a myriad of musicals in greater Knoxville including such favorites as West Side StoryWizard of OzFiddler on the Roof, and Annie. She was active with the sororities and fraternities at UT and costumed their productions of Carnicus and All-Sing. Her costumes were worn by Academy Award winner Sam Rockwell in the 1996 feature film Box of Moonlight.”

She performed for special events locally and loved balloon deliveries and singing telegrams. Her family called her “a free-thinking eccentric who often stayed in costume after performances to run errands still dressed as a gorilla or flapper.”

Her favorite character was “Sparkles the Clown,” which she created in the 1980s. “Sparkles” entertained with magic tricks, face painting and animal balloons. Ramona delighted in making people smile which is why the family chose this picture for her obituary.

A Celebration of Life will be held on Halloween Eve, Oct. 30, 2022, a date that is fitting for the “costume queen of Knoxville.” Location TBA.

View all obituaries

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *