JEAN (BURRY) WHITE 1925- 2016
Jean Burry was born in Greenspond. Her parents were Llewellyn and Elizabeth Burry. Elizabeth’s mother was a Squires from Eastport, Dora Squires. Her parents came from England. Jean had one brother, Raymond, and three sisters, Marion, Josie and Verna. Jean went to the Salvation Army School until Grade 10. She left then and went to St. John’s to work in service for the Chafe family. She later left that job and went to work for The Sweetapples. Emma Sweetapple was a Burry from Greenspond and Dawson Sweetapple was from Glovertown. Jean was paid $15/month. In 1942, Jean married Bob White also from Greenspond. They were married at Gower Street Church, St. John’s. When Bob got laid off they moved back to Greenspond. They had three children, Gordon and Barbara who were born in Greenspond, and Bernice who was born in St. John’s. They moved to St. John’s in 1947 and lived on Calver Avenue. Next they moved to Freshwater Road and then Winchester Street. That’s when Jean started working at the Grace Hospital. She worked in the diet office until 1986.
Jean’s mother, Elizabeth Burry, was the first librarian in Greenspond. Elizabeth had finished school and became a teacher. Her first school was in New Harbour. Later she left teaching and worked at the Union Store. After she and Llewelyn married, they lived on Newell’s Island. They had Marion and Gordon on Newell’s Island and Jean was born in Greenspond. After her children grew up and moved away, Elizabeth became the librarian in Greenspond and stayed there for many years until 1964.
In 1994 Linda White interviewed Jean White for The Greenspond Letter.
Listen to her interview here.
Obituary
WHITE, Jeanette (nee Burry): Passed peacefully away on Wednesday, November 9, 2016 at St. Clare’s Mercy Hospital. Predeceased by her husband: Robert White; siblings: Raymond, Marion and Josie. Leaving to mourn are her children: Gordon (Barbie), Barbara (Ed) and Bernice; grandchildren: Kim Hillier (Dwain), Stephen White (Zoe), Joanne Vey, Marilyn Maddigan (Mike) and Lesley McRae (Craig); great-grandchildren: Brittany, Brendan, Connor, Hudson, Matthew and Liam; sister: Verna Parsons (Baxter), as well as many nieces, nephews other relatives and friends. Thanks and gratitude to the medical and nursing staff of Unit 7 East of the St. Clare’s Mercy Hospital. Resting at Barrett’s Funeral Home, 328 Hamilton Ave. on Thursday from 2:00 pm. – 4:00 pm. and 7:00 pm. – 9:00 pm. Funeral service will take place in Barrett’s Chapel on Friday at 2:00 pm. Interment will follow at Mount Pleasant Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Canadian Diabetes Association, Heart and Stroke Foundation or the Canadian Cancer Society.