Walton C. Burwell, career counselor, business entrepreneur, and Quaker volunteer, has died at 83
Soft-spoken and gentle, he worked hard to empower young people and set others up for success. "That made him feel good," his daughter said.
Walton C. Burwell, 83, of Philadelphia, retired career counselor for the School District of Philadelphia, business entrepreneur, tireless Quaker volunteer, and mentor, died Sunday, Oct. 23, of complications from lung cancer at Suburban Community Hospital.
Selfless, optimistic, and industrious, Mr. Burwell spent nearly two decades as a career counselor to Philadelphia high school students in need of direction. He helped countless teens close to graduation discover hidden skills and expand expectations, and directed them to specific colleges, training programs, and job opportunities they might not have encountered otherwise.
He worked for nearly a decade at JEVS Human Services as a representative and community contact, and he and his wife, Crettie, operated a temporary office employment business in the 1960s before their daughters were born.
A longtime Quaker and member of Germantown Monthly Meeting since 1977, Mr. Burwell was a tireless volunteer whose service with the Society of Friends was highlighted by a trip to Bududa, Uganda, during which he mentored young people whose parents had died.
He served on many action committees, including the Fellowship of Friends of African Descent, and volunteered at other nonprofits and service groups such as the Willits Granting Group, the Willits Book Trust of Philadelphia, and the Library Company.
In 2018, he headed a Willits Book Trust committee that donated 250 copies of the book Between the Kola Forest and the Salty Sea: A History of the Liberian People Before 1800 to Liberian libraries. It was written by Carl Patrick Burrowes, and Mr. Burwell said in an article on the Philadelphia Yearly Meeting website: ”We are honored and humbled to be able to support Dr. Burrowes and the work he will do in Liberia.”
Mr. Burwell rose to become executive director of the Paul Robeson House & Museum and served on the homeowners board at the Rittenhouse Savoy. If something needed to be done, his daughters said, he usually did it.
“His hobby was volunteer work,” said daughter Robin Romito. “He brought people together and always thought about the other side of things. He was the epitome of being a Quaker.”
His younger daughter, Holly Sabo, said: “It was his kindness that stood out. I never saw him angry. He was always smiling. He lit up every room.”
Born June 20, 1939, in Philadelphia, Mr. Burwell grew up in North Philadelphia, was active as a teen at the Heritage House community center, and graduated from Germantown High School in 1958. He met Crettie Bronson — his “dream girl,” he said — one day at work and wrote in a short profile in 2019: “I knew from my first glance that I wanted to take her to dinner and get to know her better. When we went to dinner, it proved to be beyond my expectations.”
They married in the late 1960s, had daughters Robin and Holly, and lived in West Mount Airy and later at the Rittenhouse Savoy in Center City. His wife died in 2000.
Mr. Burwell was a creative father who encouraged his daughters to dream big and act on those dreams. He was a woodcrafter and a writer. He helped with school projects, was an example of strength and positivity, and took the family on a European adventure when the girls were young.
He liked to cook, walk around Center City, and listen to Miles Davis and other jazz musicians. He sought new experiences, embraced technology and intellectual growth, and enjoyed being part of a team.
“He was authentic and a good partner,” Romito said. “People knew he wanted to help. They could sense it. He made you feel good to be around him.”
“He found the good in every situation,” Sabo said. “He was a kind soul.”
In addition to his daughters, Mr. Burwell is survived by a granddaughter and other relatives. A brother died earlier.
A celebration of his life is to be held at 1 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 19, at Germantown Monthly Meeting, 47 W. Coulter St., Philadelphia Pa. A reception is to follow at 2 p.m.
Donations in his name may be made to the Bududa America Foundation, c/o Barbara Wybar, 111 Rex Ave., Philadelphia, Pa. 19118.