Sally Kingrey Burton died at home on May 12, 2015 following a five year battle with Parkinson’s disease. She was born on Feb 2, 1935, and graduated from Duval High School in 1953. She graduated from Morris Harvey (now known as the University of Charleston) with a degree in teaching. She taught a variety of classes for ten years at Washington Junior High and several other schools in Kanawha County before transferring in 1967 to Duval High School where she taught Physical Education. She later received her Masters from West Virginia College of Graduate Studies in guidance counseling and thereafter served as School Counselor at Duval until 1989 when she retired.
She was an excellent cook and baker and loved the beach, often saying that she felt closest to God when looking at the ocean. She was an ardent professional football fan and also closely followed many other sports as well. She was a good friend to many, a trusted teacher and advisor, a loving wife, mother and grandmother. She was kind hearted yet direct and was a positive and life altering influence on the lives of her daughters and many of her students and community members. Sally was a lifelong Member of the Church of the Latter Day Saints. She is preceded in death by her mother and father Glen and Opal Kingrey and her husband of 56 years (married in 1954), Delano Burton, with whom she fell in love in the 6th grade. Although complications from Parkinson’s disease claimed her life, she died of a broken heart as much as anything else after Delano’s death. The family is deeply thankful to her kind and loving principal caregivers over the past years, Donna Bryant and Darlene Adkins, as well as Pam Thompson, Becky Lily, and Hospice caregivers, all of whom played important loving roles over the years in enabling her to remain and live in her home until her passing, as was her wish.
She is survived by her daughters Lura Burton (Shelly Bunge) of Los Angeles, CA and Lisa Burton (Whitney Westphal) and her granddaughter Jade Sites of Alum Creek, other loving extended family members and dear friends and her beloved dog, Butterfly and her cat Kit. In lieu of flowers, Sally requested that donations be made in her honor to two causes dear to her heart — Kanawha Hospice Care, 1606 Kanawha Boulevard West, Charleston, WV 25387 or the Kanawha County Humane Association, 1248 Greenbrier Street, Charleston, WV 25311. Your donations will help make the lives of those chronically or terminally ill more graceful and dignified, and will help save the lives of many animals in need of forever homes.
Services will be 2:00 PM Saturday, May 16, at Curry Funeral Home with Elders Paul Hinman and David Patton officiating. Burial will be immediately thereafter at Orchard Hills Memory Gardens Yawkey where she will be laid to rest next to the love of her life. . Friends will gather two hours prior to the service at the funeral home.
Sally was my PE teacher in 1970-71, & she was a great lady then, & during the time she counseled the students. I knew Delano when he owned the Esso gas station in Alum Creek across the road from Curry Funeral Home. He & Sally were wonderful people. I don’t know one student that was the same once Sally had a talk with. She knew how to be an advisor & friend when we needed it. She will be missed & the Burton Family will be in my prayers. God bless you all.
Thank you all for your condolences. We greatly appreciate the very kind words about our Mom, and our Dad as well.
I WAS SO FORTUNATE TO BE A STUDENT AT DUVAL HIGH SCHOOL WHEN SALLY TAUGHT P.E. WITH ANDY MCCLURE. THOSE WERE GREAT MEMORIES. SHE WILL BE MISSED GREATLY. MY DEEPEST SYMPATHY TO THE BURTON FAMILY. GOD BLESS ALL OF YOU!
Lura & family – I am so sorry for your loss. The obituary was a beautiful tribute. Thinking of you. Delta love & mine.
I was a freshman when Sally and Delano were seniors at Duval High School. They were a beautiful couple.
My deepest sympathy to the family.
Janice Sue (Dingess) Thompson
The West Virginia and Kanawha County Associations of Retired School Employees extend their sincere sympathy to you, the family, in your sorrow. Blessings to all.