Obituary of Burton T. Church

Burton Thomas Church, an amazing husband, father and grandfather, passed away on July 18 with Betty Jane, the love of his life for more than 67 years, by his side. He had faced cancer for 18 months with the same quiet strength and optimism that he displayed throughout his 90 years. Those who knew him called Burt "a great guy" because he was kind and gentle to everyone he met. He was always generous with his time and efforts, and his tireless contributions to the companies where he worked, the organizations where he volunteered, and most importantly to the family he loved so deeply, truly made this world a better place. His and Betty Jane's greatest legacy was their deep faith in God and the abiding love they had for each other and their entire family. Their belief in the power of love will live on forever. Born in 1930 to Thomas and Mae (Wilson) Church as the second of three children, Burt grew up in Yeadon, Pennsylvania, where he attended high school and was class president his senior year. He served in the Navy Reserve from 1948 to 1956, attaining the rank of Petty Officer First Class. Burt joined Breyers Ice Cream out of high school and held a number of accounting and management positions over 18 years. He moved to Germantown Hospital in 1966, starting a long career in hospital financial management. In 1971, he joined St. Francis Hospital in Wilmington, Delaware, where he ultimately became vice president of finance, helping the hospital through major expansions and upgrades of facilities and services. In 1986, he became a personal financial planner for several years before returning to hospital financial management and retiring from the Franciscan Health System in 1993. Burt had a strong belief in education and went to night school; first to earn a certificate from the University of Pennsylvania in 1958, and then a bachelor's degree in accounting from St. Joseph's College in 1974. He volunteered for the Philadelphia Chapter of the Healthcare Financial Management Association for many years, including as president. He also was a member of the Finance Committee at then Neumann College, among many other volunteer activities. In his spare time, Burt was an avid model airplane hobbyist for many years, building and flying airplanes in competitions, and earned numerous trophies as proof of his skills. He also loved sports, home and car repairs, reading, fishing, the daily Inquirer crossword puzzle, and most importantly, any time with his family. Burt was predeceased by his parents as well as his older sister Gladys Conklin. He is survived by his wife, Betty Jane (Shank) Church; son Craig (Bidi McSorley); daughter Diane Nachamkin (Irv); and son Steven (Jill Howard Church), as well as grandchildren Rebecca (Brandon Adams) and Maura Church, Erica Adler (Olivier), Max Nachamkin, and Alaina and Leah Church; great-grandson Aryeh Adler; and a sister, Peggy Leiser. Funeral Service will be held privately. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests contributions to Westminster Presbyterian Church in West Chester, Pennsylvania, or a memorial gift to Neumann University in Aston, Pennsylvania. Online condolences may be made by visiting (www.paganofuneralhome.com)