Annette Parker Burr
Our beloved Annette Parker Burr, age 88, of Blacksburg, Virginia, died Thursday, January 2, 2025, at the Kroontje Health Care Center at Warm Hearth Village. She was born in Evanston, Illinois on February 23, 1936, to Raymond Maurice Parker and Anna Louise Ewing Parker. She is survived by her husband, David Dwight Burr, daughter Catherine Ann Burr Drake (Fred Drake), son Jeffrey David Burr (Katherine Allen), grandchildren William, Christopher, and Erin Drake, brother Ray Parker (Marilyn), and Elizabeth Allen. Her grandson, Matthew Allen Special, died in 2011. Annette met her husband, David, the love of her life, at Oberlin College. They married on June 6, 1957, and lived in Massachusetts, New York, South Dakota, and North Carolina as David initially pursued a career as a UCC minister. They moved with Cathy and Jeff to Blacksburg in 1966, when David joined the Department of History at Virginia Tech. They travelled throughout Europe, living for a year at a time, in Florence Italy, Oxford England, and Cambridge England. Annette received a BA (1968) in English from VPI, a MS (1972) in Library Science from the University of North Carolina, and a MA (1984) and PhD (1993) in Art and Art History from the University of Virginia. Her doctoral dissertation was entitled James McNeill Whistler: The Scottish Connection. For two decades, Annette was the Art and Architecture Librarian at Virginia Tech, retiring in 2001 as Associate Professor Emerita, Library. Among her many contributions, she served on the Board of Advisors for the International Archive of Women in Architecture and taught classes on art history. Annette was a beloved and devoted friend to many throughout her life, sharing her passions for art, books, travel, the outdoors, and animals with friends around the globe. She belonged to a decades-long Friday lunch group with friends who became her chosen family, as well as a cherished book group comprised primarily of women artists, art historians, architects, designers, and many others. A lifelong learner and social activist, she was a champion for justice and equality in many organizations, including teaching English as a second language. Upon retirement, Annette and David took many trips with ElderHostel, pursuing their love of outdoor adventure through canoeing and kayaking. Active until the end of her life, she enjoyed hiking and swimming and was an avid member of the Rock Steady Boxing program for people with Parkinson’s disease at Warm Hearth Village, where she lived during her last decade. A memorial service to honor Annette’s life will be held at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of the New River Valley on Saturday, January 18, 2025, at 11:00 am, officiated by the Reverend Pam Philips. In lieu of flowers, please consider honoring Annette’s memory with a donation to the Unitarian Universalist Congregation, 1301 Gladewood Drive, Blacksburg, VA 24060, or to The Willows staff at Kroontje Health Care Center, www.retire.org.
