John Burton, Beloved and
Respected Journalist, Dead at 61
By Judy O’Gorman Alvarez
Longtime Two River Times reporter John F. Burton, 61, of Middletown, died Sunday, Feb. 7.
A kind-hearted soul, with a quick wit and a loyal sense of friendship, John will be missed by many.
He was a voracious reader and a dedicated movie buff. Although his interest crossed genres, John especially enjoyed history books, detective novels and film noir. He would cite quotes from films and books – some classic ones and some obscure. Whether it be a line from a Hemingway novel or a John Huston film, he’d be sure to evoke a chortle or a pensive thought.
He loved to talk politics – local and national. No matter how much leaders’ actions would “get his Irish up,” his feelings and opinions never inched their way into his reporting.
And writing was John’s passion. At The Two River Times he would churn out article after article, throwing his heart and his words into the story. With his soothing voice and interviewing skills, he helped his subjects tell their stories – be it grade schoolers raising money, an employee who felt wronged or a homeowner whose house was destroyed in Super Storm Sandy. Sharing a fair, balanced article was important to John.
“John believed in the power of journalism to serve the public good, and he gave it his all,” said Eileen Moon, former editor of The Two River Times, who hired John.
“He loved the word ‘bespoke,’ and I think now that John was bespoke himself – a classic, custom-made, old-time reporter who loved nothing more than a council meeting; a controversy; a tempest in the proverbial teapot of local news,” she said.
“John loved to tell stories – in print and off the cuff,” she said. “He was a movie buff. He was a denizen of late night diners.”
“John was annoyingly fair as a journalist,” his good friend Ben Forest of Red Bank said.
John interviewed Forest, a community activist, as he covered borough issues. “He was a competent, professional journalist, because he was thorough. And that’s what you want – you want truth and you want real journalism.”
The two men, who met while working in journalism, teamed up to review films in recent years. “We were sort of like Siskel and Ebert,” said Forest, who recorded the reviews and posted them on his Facebook page. “John was passionate about movies.”
“John had a gift for people, a wonderful soul,” he said. “I’m honored to be his friend.”
“He was an extraordinarily rare individual,” Pat Menna, mayor of Red Bank said. “John had an uncanny ability to get his story out from a human perspective.”
According to Menna, “That was part of his humanity. He understood the human equation of people of all levels of life and the challenges they faced. Even as he faced his own health issues.”
In recent years he said, “John relied on his family for his source of strength. And he got it.”
John’s dedication to the craft won him writing awards, including NJ Press Association awards for a Fresh Approach to Routine Reporting with “A House Raising Experience” where he spent time clambering under lifted homes, and “Working by Moonlight” where he accompanied a bartender, taxi driver and police officer during their nighttime shifts.
John was born in Brooklyn, a fact he was often proud of. While in grade school, he and his family moved to Middletown to the house where he continued to live as an adult. He graduated from Mater Dei High School and Monmouth University. Although writing was his passion, he spent time working in clothing sales and other odd jobs before settling on journalism. He wrote for Greater Media and in 2002 he joined The Two River Times.
Everyone seemed to know John Burton. It could’ve been because they spotted him taking notes at a town meeting, or he interviewed them while covering an article or maybe he politely asked them to leave the Dublin House in his days as a bouncer at the Red Bank pub.
He remembered birthdays as easily as he remembered the names of town council members. At the newspaper his knowledge of trivia was almost as valuable as the internet. Interns and young reporters sought his guidance; seasoned writers bounced ideas off him.
He was a man of tradition, bringing Irish soda bread to the office on St. Patrick’s Day, going out of his way to wish all moms a Happy Mother’s Day and choosing just the right books to give as Christmas presents to friends. An impeccable dresser, he wowed us with his collection of watches, tweeds and, in later days, fashionable walking sticks (John was diagnosed with lung cancer December 2017 that spread to his brain, causing balance issues).
He leaves behind his mother Grace; brother Tom and his wife Marifrances; sister Susan; brother James and his wife Carol; sister Kerriann and husband Brian and many nieces, nephews, cousins and their families. He was predeceased by his father John “Jack” in 2001.
At The Two River Times we have missed working with John these past few years as he dealt with his cancer, treatment and related illnesses. We will treasure his memory: his chuckle and his wit, his framed photo of Dustin Hoffman and Robert Redford in “All the President’s Men” over his desk, his drawer stacked with scribble-filled reporter notebooks and his windowsill lined with books like “Elements of Style.”
“He believed that what he did mattered, and he did it as honorably as he could. And it did matter. Far more than even he knew,” Moon said. “He would be astonished and embarrassed to see the outpouring of his affection that news of his death has inspired. He’d prefer to still be sitting there in the front row at the dullest council meeting, a supermarket opening, the reunion of a lost pet with its owner. John would be there, tape recorder and notepad at the ready, knowing that these seemingly unimportant events of everyday mean everything to someone, as John meant everything to those who loved him.”
Like a true newsman, John gave us the truth as fairly and eloquently as possible. And we are all richer for it. We will miss you, John.
Tributes
John F. Burton
Aug. 20, 1959 – Feb. 7, 2021
Here is just a sampling of the outpouring of praise and love friends and colleagues of John Burton – a man who used his life to impact those around him with kindness and respect – shared to help mark his passing.
“John was a great reporter, a gentleman, and a friend. I met John a few years ago when he had interviewed me as the new Medical Director at the Parker Family Health Center. John was very easy to get along with and he made me feel comfortable whenever I spoke with him. John and I would run into one another around town or at the Middletown Diner. I thoroughly enjoyed our conversations and I will miss him. The world has lost a great man who is now at peace.”
Dr. James McGuinness,
Parker Family Health Center
“John was a consummate reporter, but more impressive, he was a really good human being.
In a strange turn, John sold me my first suit. When I was in the 7th grade he worked at Quails (men’s clothing store). When I met him 30 years later, I remembered him. It’s typical of The Two River Times – we’re all entwined in the fabric of this community. And John was such a big part of it.”
Domenic DiPiero, Owner
The Two River Times
“John Burton will live on in my memory partly because of his memory. John was not only a cherished friend and frequent dining, theater and movie-going companion, he was an encyclopedic source. John knew and could recall more stuff about more topics than most of us can about one. Fact-checking him always came down to ‘You were right, John. As usual.’ I was in awe of that attribute and shall miss him dearly.”
Phil Dorian,
Colleague
“John was the essence of what great journalism represents – an unfailing work ethic, a commitment to community, truth, integrity, knowledge and fairness. A dapper dresser, a consummate gentleman and a testament to kindness, John was the whole package.”
Jody Calendar, Editor 2015,
The Two River Times
“John Burton was the embodiment of a community journalist. No story was too big, too small, too delicate or too tough for him to tell. Inside our little section of Monmouth County, John was well known for handling each interview or subject with a fair and gentle touch – you’d be hard-pressed to find someone who disagrees with that. I was able to witness the way he worked first-hand when we collaborated on stories together, albeit rarely, and I marveled at it each time. John was 30-plus years my elder when I entered the newsroom as an unproven, green reporter. He welcomed me with respect and gave me a friendship I cherished. You were lucky if you were able to have met John Burton. There aren’t many like him. Rest in Peace, John.”
Jay Cook, Reporter 2016-2018
The Two River Times
“As so many others have noted, John was a gentleman through-and-through. His sense of fairness was deeply rooted in a spirit of generosity and shared humanity, whether he was wearing his press tags or not.
That, I think, is his true legacy.”
John Ward,
Red Bank Green
“So many of us mourn the loss of John for many reasons. A true journalist, one who was both loved and respected, he always wanted to present both sides of every story. He honored the profession and it was an honor to know and work with him.”
Muriel J. Smith,
Colleague
“I was very appreciative of John’s work and grew to like him over the years. He was always responsive, affable, competent. The community will miss him. And I will miss him, too.”
Dr. Gene Cheslock, Founder,
Parker Family Health Center
“When I used to tend bar in the ’80s John would come in after work, the sharpest dresser in Red Bank. John was out of a black-and-white movie – he actually once gave me a trench coat. We’d talk books and politics for hours. The night Bill Clinton won the presidency, John strolled in looking like he just rode the Derby winner across the finish line.”
Bob Hespe,
Friend
“It got to the point where John was almost institutional in our area. Wherever there was something going on – something important, something meaningful – John Burton was there, camera in hand, chronicling the moment for the people in our area.”
Retired Sen. Joe Kyrillos
“John was the absolute best. Always so kind, considerate and genuinely interested in what was going on in your life. We were not only former colleagues but fellow Mater Dei grads. I will miss chatting with him and hearing his views about the happenings around town and the political landscape. May you rest peacefully, John.”
Dawn Stout,
Colleague
“May the Irish hills caress you.
May her lakes and rivers bless you.
May the luck of the Irish enfold you.
May the blessings of Saint Patrick behold you.”
The article originally appeared in the February 11 – 17, 2021 print edition of The Two River Times.
