Kenneth Burton Obituary

Burton

Rev. Kenneth W. F.

Burton

January 19, 1928

December 22, 2021



'The world was his parish.' -John Wesley

Kenneth William Fowler Burton died at his home in Manitou Springs on December 22, 2021.

Kenneth was born in the city of Manchester, England, to Harold and Sarah Lapsley Burton. He had a happy childhood, excelling at both school and sports and enjoying the local Congregational Church youth group, where he met his future wife, Mary Bailey. He became the first in his family to attend university,studying theology at Cambridge University. In July, 1950 he became the youngest ordained Congregational minister in England and a month later married Mary. Having an adventurous soul, a few years later he packed up his young family for study in the United States, a move that eventually led him to become Dean of Shove Chapel and head of the Department of Religion at Colorado College. Kenneth enjoyed teaching, interacting with sudents, acting in many theater productions, and promoting the religious life of the college. He was ordained as an Episcopal priest in 1974. After taking early retirement from the College in 1988, Kenneth ministered in several parishes in the Episcopal Diocese of Colorado, maintaining old ties and performing weddings around the world. He always followed his ideals of love, compassion, social justice, and learning.

He is survived by Mary, his wife of 71 years; his 5 children, Joanna (Michael), Jeremy, Andrew (Stephanie), Mark (Yolanda), Sara; 8 grandchildren; 8 great-grandchildren, and niece Anne Brook.

A memorial service will be held on Saturday, January 15, 2022 at 1:00 pm at Chapel of Our Saviour, 8 Fourth St, Colorado Springs, CO 80906. Masks are required.



"So if any would remember me, let my name be mentioned with a smile, with brightness, with humor, with happy memory, with wholesome gladness. Pain not my memory with tears or regrets, but let my spirit live among you after death as it has on earth, with joyousness." - Rabbi Pool