Christopher Stringer
Rottingdean
Ceremony Details
The Ceremony for Hilda Burton will be held on:
Monday, 11 March 2024 12:00
Bear Road
Brighton
BN2 4DZ
Committal Details
The Committal for Hilda Burton will be held on:
Monday, 11 March 2024 12:00
Bear Road
Brighton
BN2 4DZ
Reception Details
The Reception for Hilda Burton will be held on:
Monday, 11 March 2024 13:30
Roedean Road
Brighton
BN2 5RA
In memory of
Hilda Burton
Hilda packed a lot into her 97 years.
She was born at East Hill, in Sheffield in the lodge of East Hill House, which at the time was a school for deaf children. Her father managed the 15 acres of land and grew fresh fruit and vegetables for the school, where he taught gardening. Hilda described it as a green oasis in Sheffield’s sprawl. Flowers, trees and plants were important to her from the start.
Hilda was the third of 7 children; Margaret, Jim, Hilda, Ruth, Ted, Rosemary and Noel. At weekends and holidays the children had the run of the school gardens. They had great fun great riding bikes, roller skating, climbing trees, and swinging on the lower branch of the “Swing Tree”. She loved East Hill.
In 1939 Hilda was evacuated to Loughborough with Ruth, Ted and Rosemary. The main house of the Deaf School was bombed and destroyed in the blitz of 1940.
After school Hilda attended Wye College in Kent, graduating with a BSc in Horticulture. She loved the countryside air and orchards full of sheep. She then became a lecturer at Oaklands Agricultural College in Hertfordshire. After this she taught biology at a girls’ boarding school in Dorset. She loved the rounded hills.
In 1952 she returned to Sheffield and worked as a technician in the Medical Research Council Unit of Sir Hans Krebs at Sheffield University, where she met Ken. They both moved to Oxford with MRC unit and married in 1955. James arrived in 1957 and Angie a year later. The family spent a year in America from 1964-1965, while Ken taught at Harvard. We returned to Oxford for a year then moved to Newcastle upon Tyne where Ken set up the new Department of Biochemistry. Hilda was always very supportive of Ken and proud of his achievements.
Hilda moved in erudite scientific circles at times. She remembered Watson and Crick of DNA fame. She told remembered Francis Crick coming to tea in Oxford and Jim Watson on a beach in Coldspring Harbour in the USA where Watson and Crick described the structure of DNA.
In Newcastle Hilda organised a university group to help families of students from overseas to meet and socialise. She also taught primary school children for several years. She joined local art clubs and held numerous art exhibitions of oil paintings and watercolours.
In 1996 they moved to Alfriston to be nearer family and grandchildren. She spent many very happy hours working in the garden there that she loved.
Hilda took an active part in village life. She joined many village groups including the local Women’s Institute, becoming its president for 8 years. She was on the Memorial Hall committee for several years. She was a member of the Floral Art Society and arranged flowers at the church with the Flower Guild. Hilda was a member of the Art Club and later Wilmington Art Club, as well as a member of the Alfriston Players. She enjoyed painting scenery and acting. One year she produced Mother Goose. In 2006 Hilda became chairperson of the committee which organised the celebration of the 600th Anniversary of the granting of Alfriston’s market charter. Events included a medieval market and an evening parade. She also organised and contributed to reunions at Wye College.
She loved going on outings and holidays with Ken. They went all over the world, including to Victoria Falls, and the Raffles Hotel in Singapore. They lived in New Zealand for the best part of a year and visited Australia. Hilda went to Australia again to see her sister Margaret. In her 70s Hilda went snorkeling on the Great Barrier Reef. She also went walking in the Himalayas with Ken. More recently in Sussex she always enjoyed trips out to different gardens especially, Batemans and Litlington Tea Gardens. A favourite place was Splash Point at Seaford Head.
Hilda was interested in history, especially her family history. She made a trip down from Newcastle to Somerset House before information was available online, and made a family tree going back to 1341. Her elder sister Margaret began a book about the history of the house at East Hill, which Hilda completed. Hilda spoke of her childhood memories often and wrote many of them down. She also documented her father’s achievements. She visited East Hill with her family, most recently in 2021, to see the oak trees planted by her father to commemorate the Queen’s coronation.
Hilda always loved little children. She lit up when they were around. She looked after her younger siblings when small, including Ted and Rosemary. Hilda was deeply affected by the loss of her younger brother Noel, and liked to remember him. Rosemary told me recently her big sister Hilda was there for her for all her life, for over 90 years, and that her loss leaves a huge gap.
Hilda particularly enjoyed teaching children to paint and draw. James remembers Hilda teaching him to paint trees, horses, dogs and faces. She let him use her precious oil paints too. Her grand-daughter Esme remembers how encouraging she was with her art. Her great grand-daughter Evie remembers fondly Great Granny in Alfriston teaching her to paint at her home. Only a few weeks ago at Gate Cottage Hilda was helping her great-grand-daughter Theo to draw. Theo’s name for her was ‘Happy Granny’.
Hilda had a large repertoire of songs and poems. She loved singing, particularly with others. She loved singing in the car. ‘Home, home on the range’ was a favourite, especially when we were driving around the West of America. She loved Songs of Praise, which she used to watch with her mother.
She spoke with her family often, recited poems with Ruth on the phone and always enjoyed regular and frequent phone conversations with Rosemary and Ted. She always loved to hear them and enjoyed listening to Ted and Rosemary sing happy birthday to her on her 97th birthday, just a week before she died.
Hilda spent her last year cared for so well at Gate Cottage where she was able to enjoy the garden and trips to the beach, as well as the regular company of the other residents. She had a lovely room and was wonderfully looked after by Tracey and the team. It was ideal. She was very happy there. Thank you so much.
Ken was the scientist, Hilda the artist. They complimented each other. Hilda had lots of ideas and she ‘got on and did it’. She was a ‘completer finisher’, wanting to finish things to the highest standard she could.
Hilda said she always did what she thought was right. She made the most of her talents and interests, she looked at the scene in front of her with a painter’s eye, she loved plants and flowers and above all she loved her family.
She was born at East Hill, in Sheffield in the lodge of East Hill House, which at the time was a school for deaf children. Her father managed the 15 acres of land and grew fresh fruit and vegetables for the school, where he taught gardening. Hilda described it as a green oasis in Sheffield’s sprawl. Flowers, trees and plants were important to her from the start.
Hilda was the third of 7 children; Margaret, Jim, Hilda, Ruth, Ted, Rosemary and Noel. At weekends and holidays the children had the run of the school gardens. They had great fun great riding bikes, roller skating, climbing trees, and swinging on the lower branch of the “Swing Tree”. She loved East Hill.
In 1939 Hilda was evacuated to Loughborough with Ruth, Ted and Rosemary. The main house of the Deaf School was bombed and destroyed in the blitz of 1940.
After school Hilda attended Wye College in Kent, graduating with a BSc in Horticulture. She loved the countryside air and orchards full of sheep. She then became a lecturer at Oaklands Agricultural College in Hertfordshire. After this she taught biology at a girls’ boarding school in Dorset. She loved the rounded hills.
In 1952 she returned to Sheffield and worked as a technician in the Medical Research Council Unit of Sir Hans Krebs at Sheffield University, where she met Ken. They both moved to Oxford with MRC unit and married in 1955. James arrived in 1957 and Angie a year later. The family spent a year in America from 1964-1965, while Ken taught at Harvard. We returned to Oxford for a year then moved to Newcastle upon Tyne where Ken set up the new Department of Biochemistry. Hilda was always very supportive of Ken and proud of his achievements.
Hilda moved in erudite scientific circles at times. She remembered Watson and Crick of DNA fame. She told remembered Francis Crick coming to tea in Oxford and Jim Watson on a beach in Coldspring Harbour in the USA where Watson and Crick described the structure of DNA.
In Newcastle Hilda organised a university group to help families of students from overseas to meet and socialise. She also taught primary school children for several years. She joined local art clubs and held numerous art exhibitions of oil paintings and watercolours.
In 1996 they moved to Alfriston to be nearer family and grandchildren. She spent many very happy hours working in the garden there that she loved.
Hilda took an active part in village life. She joined many village groups including the local Women’s Institute, becoming its president for 8 years. She was on the Memorial Hall committee for several years. She was a member of the Floral Art Society and arranged flowers at the church with the Flower Guild. Hilda was a member of the Art Club and later Wilmington Art Club, as well as a member of the Alfriston Players. She enjoyed painting scenery and acting. One year she produced Mother Goose. In 2006 Hilda became chairperson of the committee which organised the celebration of the 600th Anniversary of the granting of Alfriston’s market charter. Events included a medieval market and an evening parade. She also organised and contributed to reunions at Wye College.
She loved going on outings and holidays with Ken. They went all over the world, including to Victoria Falls, and the Raffles Hotel in Singapore. They lived in New Zealand for the best part of a year and visited Australia. Hilda went to Australia again to see her sister Margaret. In her 70s Hilda went snorkeling on the Great Barrier Reef. She also went walking in the Himalayas with Ken. More recently in Sussex she always enjoyed trips out to different gardens especially, Batemans and Litlington Tea Gardens. A favourite place was Splash Point at Seaford Head.
Hilda was interested in history, especially her family history. She made a trip down from Newcastle to Somerset House before information was available online, and made a family tree going back to 1341. Her elder sister Margaret began a book about the history of the house at East Hill, which Hilda completed. Hilda spoke of her childhood memories often and wrote many of them down. She also documented her father’s achievements. She visited East Hill with her family, most recently in 2021, to see the oak trees planted by her father to commemorate the Queen’s coronation.
Hilda always loved little children. She lit up when they were around. She looked after her younger siblings when small, including Ted and Rosemary. Hilda was deeply affected by the loss of her younger brother Noel, and liked to remember him. Rosemary told me recently her big sister Hilda was there for her for all her life, for over 90 years, and that her loss leaves a huge gap.
Hilda particularly enjoyed teaching children to paint and draw. James remembers Hilda teaching him to paint trees, horses, dogs and faces. She let him use her precious oil paints too. Her grand-daughter Esme remembers how encouraging she was with her art. Her great grand-daughter Evie remembers fondly Great Granny in Alfriston teaching her to paint at her home. Only a few weeks ago at Gate Cottage Hilda was helping her great-grand-daughter Theo to draw. Theo’s name for her was ‘Happy Granny’.
Hilda had a large repertoire of songs and poems. She loved singing, particularly with others. She loved singing in the car. ‘Home, home on the range’ was a favourite, especially when we were driving around the West of America. She loved Songs of Praise, which she used to watch with her mother.
She spoke with her family often, recited poems with Ruth on the phone and always enjoyed regular and frequent phone conversations with Rosemary and Ted. She always loved to hear them and enjoyed listening to Ted and Rosemary sing happy birthday to her on her 97th birthday, just a week before she died.
Hilda spent her last year cared for so well at Gate Cottage where she was able to enjoy the garden and trips to the beach, as well as the regular company of the other residents. She had a lovely room and was wonderfully looked after by Tracey and the team. It was ideal. She was very happy there. Thank you so much.
Ken was the scientist, Hilda the artist. They complimented each other. Hilda had lots of ideas and she ‘got on and did it’. She was a ‘completer finisher’, wanting to finish things to the highest standard she could.
Hilda said she always did what she thought was right. She made the most of her talents and interests, she looked at the scene in front of her with a painter’s eye, she loved plants and flowers and above all she loved her family.
Barnardo's
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Donations
Donations for Hilda Burton £30.94
Clare Marsden
Barnardo's
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