Grace Episcopal Day School founder Burton dies

SEATTLE – Jan Shipp Burton, 96, passed away peacefully on June 18 with her daughters at her bedside at home in Seattle, Washington.

Burton was born July 28, 1919 in Americus, Georgia to Sarah Cannon Shipp and John Edgar Dawson Shipp Jr. She graduated from Washington Seminary – now The Westminster Schools – in Atlanta in 1936 and attended the University of Georgia.

Burton was naturally a lifelong teacher and founded Grace Episcopal Day School in Orange Park in 1950, where she implemented ideas far ahead of her time, such as learning a second language, typing, and bicycle safety, beginning at the young age of three.

Her teaching philosophy was conveyed to parents with a message which began “The future holds unlimited opportunities for those who are trained and educated to meet the challenges of today’s world. As a beginning, we must accept the fact that as adults we can help and advise, but we cannot learn for our children.” She believed in “stimulating a child’s thirst for knowledge” and as school director she emphasized good sportsmanship, being well-rounded, and that learning is fun. She made a lasting difference in the lives of her students, many of whom stayed in touch with her throughout her life, which pleased her immensely.

Burton envisioned a school where children would learn through experimenting, touching objects and exploring curiosity. Her teaching roots started in Playtime Kindergarten, which uses classic play activities, such as chalk and painting.

Jan acquired a love of books as a child in her grandfather’s extensive law library and uncle’s antiquarian book shop. She was a librarian for numerous schools and helped found the Orange Park Library around 1960. Not only did she gather books and help set up the system, she worked tirelessly to get bicycle pathways built, so that children could safely ride from school to the library. She was an active member of Friends of the Library, helping to host the Starlight Symphonette concerts to raise library funds. When she moved to Judson Park in Washington state, she turned a book closet into a full library for the retirement center and welcomed new residents by delivering their favorite genre of books.

Jan devoted herself to a variety of other work which benefited every community in which she resided, including serving on the WUFT Television Community Advisory Board at The University of Florida, initiating a campaign to encourage the Florida prison system to teach inmates how to build solar panels so they would be employable upon release, and to require all public buildings in Florida to use solar water heaters.

As an active member of the Orange Park Woman’s Club, she brought art and science classes to Orange Park from the Jacksonville Children’s Museum. In Seattle, at Judson Park Retirement Center, she rallied residents to work on environmental and political issues and led “Pillow Talk” to sew pillows for police to use as comfort for traumatized children.

Burton was especially known for being photogenic, a beauty in her evening gowns, and for her creative ideas for solving problems. Friends, acquaintances and those she had never met sought her wisdom and advice on every topic imaginable. Her exquisite penmanship was admired, as she addressed thousands of event invitations and wedding announcements for friends through the years.

Burton lived in Atlanta, Los Angeles, New York City and Seattle, but spent most of her life in the Jacksonville area. Her employers included Aerojet and The May Company in California, Dr. Ridley in Atlanta, and St. Paul’s School and Willow Branch Library in Jacksonville. Her adventures included being invited to Selznick Studios in New York for several weeks of screen tests for “Gone With The Wind,” modeling at Bonwit Teller in New York, afternoons at The Glen Miller Show in Los Angeles and evenings on Catalina Island at dances with her first husband, Carolos Gomez. She was captivated by the views on Columbia River and Alaska cruises, Jackson Hole and The Tetons, and landscapes seen on her numerous drives across the U.S. Burton’s happiest times were on Holly Point in Orange Park with her husband, John Stevens Burton, enjoying fun gatherings with her neighbors, friends and family on the St. Johns River.

She was a member of the Florida Yacht Club for 50 years, Timuquana Country Club, The Club Continental and Quail Ridge Country Club, where she enjoyed boating, golf, tennis and parties.

Burton is survived by her daughter, Jan (Bebe) Burton Kane (Dan, d. 2009) of Pinehurst, N.C., and daughter and son-in-law, Sally and Allan Walton of Seattle, as well as her grandsons, Daniel Burton Walton (Elizabeth) of Seattle and Alexander Page Walton of Berkeley, Calif.

She is also survived by her niece and nephews Sally Walker Necessary (Ron), Bennett Walker (Wanda) and John E.D. Shipp IV (Barbara), cousin Cindy Cohen (Murray), as well as stepson John Jaquith Burton (Donna) and stepdaughter Linda Burton Shearer. Burton was predeceased by her husband, John Stevens Burton, her sister, Sarah Shipp Walker of Richmond, Va. and brother, John Edgar Dawson Shipp III, of Americus, Ga.

At Burton’s request, a memorial service will not be held for her, however, a gathering of friends will occur at GEDS in Orange Park at a future date to be determined in 2017.

For those who wish to remember Burton and honor her devotion to education, your support of The Burton Fund for Scholarships at Grace Episcopal Day School will be appreciated. Checks to “GEDS Burton Fund” may be mailed to Sally Walton in Washington State or sent directly to the Head of School, Stephanie Massey, GEDS, 156 Kingsley Ave., Orange Park, FL 32073. Jan’s family may be contacted through Sally Burton Walton, 1132 SW 174th Place, Normandy Park, Wash. 98166.