Antoinette Salley Burdett
August 15, 1923 ~ April 24, 2008
Resided in:
Flat Rock, NC
Antoinette Salley Burdett of Flat Rock, NC departed this life on April 24th. Born in Statesville, NC in 1923, she was the daughter of the late William Moss Salley and Winifred Swift Salley. She grew up in Asheville and graduated from Lee Edwards High School as well as Duke University where she was President of Pi Beta Phi Sorority. In 1941 she and one of her classmates became the first female cheerleaders at Duke after a landmark vote of the entire student body. In 1947 she was crowned Queen of Rhododendron in Asheville.
As a devoted and gracious military wife she and her late husband, Lt. Gen. Allen M. Burdett, Jr., raised their family in various locations throughout the US. They were last stationed at Fort Sam Houston, TX where he served as Commanding General of the 5th Army. She was a very caring and generous mother, grandmother, sister, aunt and friend. She epitomized Southern grace and dignity.
She loved her home in Kenmure and enjoyed cooking for and entertaining her family and friends. She loved going to "The Outpost," her beach house on the Gulf Coast of FL. She will be remembered and missed by all whose lives she touched.
The family would like to give their sincere appreciation to the staff of Four Seasons Hospice at Elizabeth House and to her personal caregiver, Katherine Pressley, for their tender care and compassion during her final weeks.
In addition to her husband, she was preceded in death by her daughter, Margaret Burdett Clouse of Ozark, AL; her brothers, Alfred Nathaniel Salley and William Moss Salley, Jr. of Asheville.
She is survived by her three sons: Allen M. Burdett, III and wife, Elizabeth, of Saluda; William M. Burdett and wife, Lee, of Tuxedo; and Douglas N. Burdett and wife, Pamela, of Norfolk, VA; eight grandchildren: Aaron Burdett and wife, Jade; John Burdett and wife, Emily; Joseph Burdett; Mitchell Burdett; Daniel Burdett; Mary Margaret Burdett; Norwood Burdett; Emma Burdett; a great-granddaughter, Emma Woodward-Burdett; a niece and several nephews.
There will be a graveside service at Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery, San Antonio, TX on Friday May 2. A memorial service and celebration in NC will be scheduled for a later date.
Memorials can be made to Four Seasons Hospice and Palliative Care, 571 South Allen Road, Flat Rock, NC 28731 or Sunshine Cottage School for the Deaf, 103 Tuleta Drive, San Antonio, TX 78212.
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With deepest sympathy. I knew your mother at Fort Rucker, Al.
Karen Bennett
It was an Honor and a privilege to be Caregiver to Your Mother, we shared alot of enjoyable moments. I’m very Proud that she was able to get to know my Family, WE all loved and respected her a great deal.She will be Truely Missed, but, Never Forgotten . She will Always and Forever Hold a Very Special Place in Our Hearts.
We were classmates at Lee Edwards and graduated in the Class of ’40. Also, a long time friend of her brother, Moss. Will miss seeing her on my frequent visits to Asheville.
My condolences to your family.
(I think I am related through William Salley-my grandfather was Pierce B. Salley. Please contact me at your convenience. 828-693-7566)
With deepest sympathy. I was a Meteorology Instructor for Lt.Gen. Burdett at Fort Rucker as he went through flight training.
We lived next door to Antoinette in Kenmure. She shared her genuine Southern hospitality & grace…& her fantastic vichyssoise!
My parents, CSM Cliff & Lee Wagner, were good friends of the General & Mrs. B after first meeting at Ft. Rucker. To this day their picture hangs in my parents’ home. Dad is probably golfing with the General in heaven, but Mom was very distressed to learn of Mrs. B’s death. Our thoughts & prayers are with all of you.
James and were so sadden to hear about your loss of Antoinette. She was a special part of our lives growing up near Ft. Rucker and having a beach house next door to each other. Of course we were thrilled to have her daughter Margaret part of our family even though it was for far too short. She has remained involved in all of our lives and was always such a wonderful friend to our parents and to each of us.
We will remember her with fondness and love.
Our thoughts and prayers are with each of you.
Love, Jan and James Lisenby
Bill, Lee and kids,
We were so sorry to hear of your loss. You are in our thoughts and prayers.
Gary and I were both so sadden to hear about your loss of Antoinette. She had us over to dinner a couple of times at her condo in Asheville with Moss. I worked with Moss at the Asheville VA Pharmacy for 8 years. We had many good parties with both Moss and Antoinette. I miss Moss terribly and enjoyed going out to Deerfield to visit him often. Antoinette had us over to her beautiful condo in Asheville a couple of times for dinner along with Moss. She was such a beautiful lady and had such a wonderful personality and spirit. We also went down to her beach house in Panama City a couple of times with her and Moss and our family. We have alot of wonderful memories of both her and her brother Moss. She thought so much of all her family and always had pictures displayed of her children, grandchildren, etc. She was very proud of her family and was a very devoted wife, mother, grandmother, sister, friend. She will be deeply missed and will always hold a special place in our hearts and we will always treasure our fond memories of her and Moss.
Gary, Linda, Jason, Tiffaney Lankton
Asheville, North Carolina
What a sad day to learn that ‘Mrs B’ had passed away. As a fellow Army Brat, son Allen (III) and I crossed courses many times in our childhoods. As an Army aviator during the Vietnam war, General Burdett became a mentor to this wayward captain. I laugh now, remembering how Antoinette TRIED to teach me better social graces, lol. What a GRAND lady!! She will be missed.
I knew and loved ‘Mrs. Burdett’ as a teenager and spent many hours in her home with Bill, her son, in Virginia in the 60’s. She was fun and beautiful and always so loving to me. Its sad to know she is not with us but I know she will always be around. She had such love for her family.