Phillip Gray Burton Found the Joy in Life

This week, Don Patterson received an email from Evelyn Burton-Kelly, who contacted Don after finding the "59 Classics" in her father's mail. She wrote, "Daddy went to heaven on April 9 after a 4 month fight with Mesothelioma. Please include this in your next newsletter as notification to his former classmates." Don forwarded her email to me.

Even though we shared a homeroom, I checked my annual to make sure I was remembering Phillip correctly. Underneath his photo was this quote "To eat, to drink and to be merry." It seems this is the way he lived his life and that he made sure those around him enjoyed life as well as he.

I am finding more and more that those early traits stay with us for all our lives. It's one of the reasons reunions work; suddenly we are back in time with those same folks. They may look different on the outside, but inside we know them. It's too bad Phillip Burton will not be with us for the 50th Reunion to share his laughter and sense of humor. I have no doubt he would have once again made us all find the joy in the day.

Part of Phillip's Obituary from the AJC follows:
Phillip Gray Burton was met at the gates of Heaven on April 9, 2007 by his parents, Milton and Mazzie Burton and his step-son, Richard Drummond, Jr. Mr. Burton worked for SAIA Motor Freight for ten years and was retired from Yellow Freight System after 30 years of service. Preceded in death by his parents and step-son, he is survived by his wife, Mary Burton of Duluth; daughter, Evelyn Ann Burton Kelly and her husband James of Suwanee; sisters and brother-in-law, Faye B. and Pete Ogren of Lawrenceville, Betty Mayes of Kings Mountain, NC; and several nieces and nephews.

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