Robert A. and Leta A. Burgess

Robert Arthur Burgess Leta Ann Gill Burgess October 8, 1926 - July 24, 2020 February 9,1924 - October 1, 2015 They met in Chicago, she the daughter of, the superintendent of a fancy coop apartment building, he the son of newly emigrated parents from Canada. His family had roots in Ireland and France, coming to the States via Sault Ste. Marie, hers most likely from the British Isles via Ellis Island. Their lives were quite different from one another’s. The Gills were protestants, with Howard a staunch Calvinist. Bob’s family was Irish and French Roman Catholic.You can probably guess their dissimilar political affiliations! The Gill family likely did not suffer during the Great Depression due to the wealth of apartment residents that kept the building and their lives afloat. They lived in a small apartment at 2450 Lakeview Ave, nothing like the exquisite residences of Kate Buckingham, Ann Landers and other people of note who lived there. The Gills, Howard, Helen, Leta and Milton lived an unassuming and comfortable life. In later years, touring Biltmore, George Vanderbilt’s mansion in Asheville, North Carolina, she would remark that it was the servant’s quarters that she identified with the most. When Downton Abbey was first aired Leta was again fascinated with life upstairs and downstairs. She and Lynn would often talk after an episode aired, commiserating and commenting on the latest tragedy or mystery. Bob’s father would travel from Chicago to find work, leaving his family behind. Times were indeed tough for the family of six, with Tom, Bob, John and Mary. Mary recounts Bob gifting her as a young girl with a toothbrush, not surprising since dental health was always a big deal to him. He also had memories he told Dean he would not share. When Leta toured Biltmore, George Vanderbilt’s mansion in Asheville, North Carolina, she would remark that it was the servant’s quarters that she identified with the most. When Downton Abbey was first aired Leta was again fascinated with life upstairs and downstairs. She and Lynn would often talk after an episode aired, commiserating and commenting on the latest tragedy or mystery. Bob was fascinated with magic, studying various tricks, entertaining children at birthday parties and when pressed with “Grandpa, the kids in my class don’t believe you are a magician!” arriving for a visit at his granddaughter’s school and wowing the class with his sleight of hand and story telling. His “trick” of turning a classmate into a monster was always a huge hit. Leta came into her own career wise in Knoxville. She became a staunch advocate for those who were mentally ill and disenfranchised. Always behind the scenes, she calmly sought what was beneficial for her clients, beginning as a patient advocate for the East Tennessee Mental Health Association and later working directly for Lakeshore Mental Health Institute (LMHI) as a patient advocate. One of the saddest days for Leta was when LMHI closed. Leta’s family roots go deep in Montgomery County, Indiana soil. Oliver and Gill the most familiar surnames, and others such as Frame, Wasson, and Morrison fill Lynn’s and Dean’s minds with questions of family origin. Ladoga is a bit of “holy ground” in our family. Our favorite people and places may not be physically present, yet we remember well the library (first place to visit) the corner drug store with a soda fountain, Orange Crush from the soda machine outside the laundromat, the post office and yes, the creek where Dean and cousin Chuck Gill built a never forgotten raft in hopes of recreating Huck Finn and Tom Sawyer’s adventure. It was an adventure for sure. Bob and Leta are survived by their children Lynn (Michael) and Dean (Donna), Bob’s sister Mary (Bob), grandchildren Abby (Jordan), Elisabeth (Mike), Sara-Emily (Ben) Claire (Aaron), Andrew, and Mark. Great grandchildren, Fletcher, Sam, Leta and Marvin. , niece Debbie Gill Reynolds (Wayne) of Martin, Tennessee, niece River Gill Bloxham, cousins Ruth Oliver Leaming and Alan Oliver of Crawfordsville, ,Indiana, along with nieces and nephews from both sides of the family. Leta and Bob were predeceased by their parents, Leta’s parents Howard and Helen, brother Milton V. Gill; Bob’s parents Thomas and Honora, brothers Thomas and John, and nephews David Gill and Charles (Chuck) Gill. Leta and Bob treasured their children and grandchildren, loving them deeply. Bob missed Leta immensely following her death. Symbolically we know it is important that their ashes be interred together. It is a homecoming of sorts that we do so in Ladoga.