Many remembered Dana Burton, a Home Economics teacher at Sullivan Junior/Senior High
School for over 35 years, as the teacher who made you scrape gum off the floor of Kitchen #1 for
talking, but she was always remembered with grace. Teaching lessons, whether it be job skills or
life skills, Dana Burton dedicated her life to the youth of Sullivan County. She was committed to
helping others learn and succeed.
Passionate about everything she put her hands on, Dana became an avid 4-H member and
gardener. Very interested in floral designs, she taught most of her senior Home Ec. classes how to
design flowers for the dinner table. Everyone went home with a “start” of this or a “pinch” of
that. In her later years, Dana took up quilting and became quite successful with that. She
believed in taking every opportunity to learn something new.
Dana Burton always wanted to help others succeed, and she did just that. Through a bequest in
her will, she created the Dana M. Burton Memorial Endowment Fund at the Sullivan County
Community Foundation. The purpose of this fund is to support service learning projects that
benefit the youth of Sullivan County, as well as the Sullivan County community.
The Dana M. Burton Memorial Endowment Fund was established Dana’s endowment fund has
helped with such projects as third grade students making throws for nursing home residents and
allowing Rural Community Academy students to plant trees at the recycling center and learn
about trees.