A memorial service remembering Elizabeth Erwin Burnside has been set for 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, January 12, 2008, at the Ridge Avenue Church of Christ at 1625 Ridge Avenue in Tifton. John Voss will officiate. Mrs. Burnside, 84, known to many as "Burnsy", passed away December 20, 2007, at Tift Regional Medical Center.
The seventh of eight children, she was born at home to Daniel Tucker Erwin and Clara Belle Mann Erwin, both deceased, on August 13, 1923, in Tampa, Florida. She graduated from Tampa's Plant High School in January 1941, then earned her bachelor's degree at the University of Tampa in June 1944, double-majoring in history and English.
She married former Tampa resident and high school classmate, Joseph Edgar Burnside, Jr. in June 1944, in Santa Ana, California, during his service in the United States Marine Corps. Her husband of more than 50 years, he preceded her in death.
After World War II, the couple returned to Gainesville, Florida, where Mrs. Burnside pursued her education, soon earning a master's degree in English. After they relocated to Madison, Wisconsin, she began a teaching career, which would see her make many friends among faculty and students alike.
In 1952, the couple moved to Tifton, and "Burnsy" continued her service as an educator, teaching English at Tift County High School.
After a move from Tifton to Carbondale, Illinois, in 1955, and serving as a mother and homemaker, she continued her career as an educator, working as a substitute teacher in that community's public school system. She earned her real estate license and began what also became a successful career in that field.
Returning to Tifton in 1970, she again directed her energies and leadership to education, initially serving as a substitute teacher and guidance counselor at what was then the Len Lastinger Elementary School. Soon, she was elevated to principal at Charles Spencer Elementary School, where she served until retiring.
During her working career and in retirement, she received numerous awards and recognitions. She also served as a leader in many service organizations, including the Delta Zeta sorority, the Pilot Club and the Red Hat Ladies, to name only a few.
"Burnsy" is survived by one son, Joseph E. "Jeb" Burnside, III, of Sarasota, Florida; one sister, Alma DeWald of Tampa, Florida; two grandchildren, Jeremy Burnside and Kelsea Burnside, both of Alexandria, Virginia; and many former students, colleagues, friends and loved ones.
Her family welcomes all those who remember her to join them at the memorial on Saturday, January 12, 2008.
In lieu of flowers, donations in her memory may be made to the Raintree Village Children's Home in Valdosta.