Richard Henry Burt

Richard "Dick" Henry Burt of Niskayuna, formerly of Loudonville, 94, passed peacefully on October 30, 2019 at the Baptist Health Nursing Rehabilitation Center, Scotia, after a brief illness. Raised in Los Angeles, California, he was the son of the late Aurora Garcia Burt, brother of the late Sr. Rose Virginia Burt, and cousin of the late Adrienne Myers.

He was the loving husband of 64 years to the former Frances M. Wilkinson, formerly of Catskill, and proud father of Brian R. (Mary Pinkans) of Schenectady, and Kevin D. (Kari Blood) of Hadley, MA, and loving "Pop" to his grandchildren, Zachary Brian and Alexandria Frances, both of Schenectady. He is survived by nieces, Judy Lendner of Long Island, and Mildred, William and Linda Wilkinson of Colonie; cousins, Carol Stewart of California, and Laura Brakeman of Alaska, and longtime friends, Wally Burton, from college; and Robert Heglund, from his Navy days.

Richard served with the US Navy during World War II, and afterward, on the GI bill, he attended Stanford University, graduating with a Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering. He was a proud alumnus of Stanford University, and it pained him when their Cardinal's sports teams lost. After graduation, Richard joined and moved around with General Electric, where one work reassignment changed his life.There, at GE in Coxsackie, NY, he met his future wife, Frances. They married June 18, 1955, and continued to move with his job promotions and their growing, young family. After job relocations to Lynn, MA, and Cincinatti, Ohio, Richard and his family settled down for many years in the Syracuse area, leaving in 1976 to head back to GE in Schenectady, where he retired in the mid-1980s.

Richard enjoyed a long and healthy retirement with his wife and family. He was an avid reader of news magazines, American and Navy histories, and mystery novels, which made him an interesting and fun conversationalist. He kept up with computer and phone advancement, and learned to text so he could keep in contact with his grandchildren. Ever an engineer, he could fix, figure out, organize or invent as needed, skills honed over many years and appreciated by his family. Richard spent much of his retirement years working on a special gift for his family. He spent years researching and writing the family history as well as his own personal life story of growing up, his jobs, college days, and Navy service. At one point while he was writing it, he enjoyed interviewing and describing his Naval experience with his grandson Zachary, for a World War II school project. It was important to him to be able to pass down family history and stories to his sons and grandchildren. He lives on in these stories, treasured very much by his family. Besides being the family historian, Richard will be remembered and cherished as a perennial gentleman: chivalrous, honorable and mannered. He was smart, funny, always smiling, dependable, and will be greatly missed.

The family will celebrate his life with a private graveside service on Monday, November 4, 2019 at 11:00 am at Memory Gardens, Colonie. Those wishing to send thoughts of sympathy and comfort can send cards and notes in care of the funeral home. In lieu of flowers, donations in Richard's name may be sent to the American Cancer Society, 1 Penny Lane, Latham, NY, 12110.