Nellie Jean (Badida) Burgess passed away peacefully Jan. 28, 2021, in Chester, Virginia.
Born Oct. 28, 1947, in Spangler, Pennsylvania, Jeannie grew up in Perth Amboy where she met her husband of over 50 years, Ronald Burgess. They married and lived in Williamsburg, Virginia, for a time while Ron completed law school at The College of William & Mary. It was in Williamsburg that Jeannie found her passion for teaching at Bruton Heights Elementary School and was honored in 1972 with the Outstanding Elementary Teaching Award that year.
Jeannie and Ron moved to Middletown and later became residents of Fair Haven, which is where she continued and from where she retired as a devoted, loving teacher to the students at both Viola L. Sickles and Knollwood Schools. “Mrs. B” to her students – or “Jeannie” to fellow teachers – was always the first to arrive in the morning and the last to leave in the afternoon. She was enthusiastic about her students even when it came to lesson plans and room décor. If it was to be taught, Jeannie had it covered, literally, somewhere on one of her many bulletin boards. Every month was a different theme and she highlighted holidays, students work and her daily lessons. If Jeannie wasn’t a teacher she would have been an excellent interior decorator.
Mrs. B never met a student, parent or stranger she couldn’t relate to. Her means to positively touch the lives of others was her God-given gift. She believed teaching came from the heart, influencing many of her students with her enormous capacity for empathy and overwhelming desire to help them achieve success. She was truly able to find and capitalize on the best qualities of each student while compassionately and honestly supporting them to grow in areas that needed improvement. Jean was recognized with the Governor’s Award for Outstanding Teaching in the State of New Jersey by former Gov. Jim Florio in May 1990. In June 2002 Mrs. B retired with Ron to Kitty Hawk, North Carolina in the Outer Banks. It was there Jeannie’s family grew and she took on her favorite title, “Grammie” to her four grandchildren.
Jeannie enjoyed days at the beach with her Yorkshire terriers, crafting, and playing winning slot machines when she could find one. She and Ron moved to Chester, Virginia in 2016 to be closer to family.
She is survived by her husband Ronald, 73, her daughter Nicole (Burgess) and son-in-law Eric Smith of Chesterfield, Virginia, and son Bradford and daughter-in-law Maggy Burgess of Baltimore, Maryland. She also leaves behind her beloved grandchildren, Samantha Smith and Brady, Betty and Benjy Burgess.
There will be a celebration of life at a later date once COVID-19 restrictions have been lifted.
The article originally appeared in the March 4 – 10, 2021 print edition of The Two River Times.
