Mrs. Mary Burton

BURTON, Mrs. Mary - Age 84, passed away Friday, May 6, 2016 at Hurley Medical Center. Family hour 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, May 11, 2016 at Quinn Chapel AME Church, 2101 Lippincott Blvd., with a memorial service commencing at 11:00 a.m. Rev. Gerald Cardwell, officiating. Family and friends will assemble at the church 10:30 a.m. Wednesday. Mrs. Burton will lie in state in the Chapel of Lawrence E. Moon Funeral Home, 906 W. Flint Park Blvd. There will be no public viewing. Mary Elizabeth Parrish Burton was born August 26, 1931 in Nashville, Tennessee, the middle child and only daughter of Major and Wallie Parrish. She graduated from Pearl High School in Nashville and attended Shorter College in North Little Rock, Arkansas for four years, receiving her teaching certificate. In 1952, she married Bobby Burton and their union produced two beautiful children, Bobby Bernard and Debra Lynn. The family moved to Michigan, first to Highland Park, and then settled in Flint. Mary worked as a Ward Clerk at Hurley Hospital (Medical Center) and then as a Substitute Teacher and Security Professional at Flint Public Schools, primarily at Whitter Middle School and the Skill Center. Even years after her retirement, Flint students continued to acknowledge her impact on their education and lives. She was a faithful member of Quinn Chapel AME Church, serving in several ministries, including the Trustee Board for over 35 years and Stewardship and Finance Committee. She sang in the Gospel Chorus, was a member of the Prayer Team and a dedicated Class Leader, regularly checking on her members well-being. Always a sharp dresser, Mary’s outfits were always perfectly coordinated. She enjoyed watching horseraces, and she was a diehard Detroit Pistons fan, regularly attending home games with family and her basketball buddy, Katherine McCoy. Mary and Katherine’s barking at the opposing teams was legendary at the Silverdome and the Palace. Mary leaves to cherish her memory: son, Bobby (Karen) Burton; daughter, Debra; god-son, Willie (Annie) Gray; special friends, Katherine McCoy, Johnnie Welch, Margaret Hardin and Chatmon Thorn; a host of nieces and nephews; the entire Quinn AME Chapel Church family, and many other friends. She was preceded in death by her parents, Major and Wallie Parrish; and brothers, Major and William.

Mrs. Mary Burton

August 26, 1931 - May 6, 2016