Mary Ellen Burgess

May 5, 1937 ~ April 4, 2008
Resided in:
Asheville, NC
Asheville ~ Mary Ellen Loftis Burgess, PhD, 70, passed away peacefully Friday, April 4, 2008, after a long battle with cancer.
Born in Taylors, S.C., she was the daughter of the late Herbert and Aileen Loftis. She was preceded in death by a son, David Vance Burgess, and her sister, Miriam Loftis Buchanon Joner.
She graduated from Winthrop University and the University of South Carolina. Her career included elementary school teacher, primary school principal, and executive director of several social programs. During her career, the most professionally rewarding positions were as Manager of the Cherokee Tribal Child Care Services and Executive Director of the Henderson County Partnership for Children.
Her personal ministry was over fifty years of service to the Lord, through playing traditional piano and organ hymnal music, concluding with her fifteen years of service as the organist for her beloved church family at Enka Baptist.
Mrs. Burgess is survived by her son, Steven Victor Burgess of Asheville; uncle, C.A. Brown, and brother-in-law, Rev. Ken Joner.
A celebration of her life will be held at 11:00 a.m. Saturday, at Enka Baptist Church with the Reverends Ron Brown, Ken Joner and Scott Lynch officiating. The family will receive friends for one hour prior to the service.
Memorials may be made to Enka Baptist Church, PO Box 219, Enka, N.C. 28728 or to Mountain Area Hospice, PO Box 25338, Asheville, N.C. 28813.
Dear Cousins,
It’s been 70 plus years since I lived in Taylors or close to my Loftis and Brown families, but I have attempted to keep up with our now wide span of kin. But this I know, Mary Ellen and Miriam are now in family reunion with Herbert and Aileen and a host of kin. They all left this world a better place.
May our Lord Bless and Keep each of you who yet remain.
Alton Brown, Dunnellon, FL