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PITTSBURG —
Elizabeth W. Burris (Liz), former Director of Public Relations and Communications at Pittsburg State University, died at 9:55 a.m. Monday June 25, 2012 at the Medicalodge South Nursing Facility in Pittsburg. She was 90 years old.
The first woman to graduate from Boeing Airplane Company’s management training program in Wichita, Liz worked in PR at Boeing for a decade, serving as Chairman for the Board of Directors of the 35,000 strong Boeing Employees Association. She came to Wichita from Pittsburg post-WW II, having married Art Prince, known in his radio career at ABC News as “Bob Arthur.” They divorced after seven years. One son, Michael, of Washington, DC, survives. She later married Wiley E. Burris, Major, USAF, who preceded her in death. Their children, Kathy Bass, of Frontenac, and Terry Burris, MD of Portland, Oregon also survive.
Wiley and Liz Burris moved to Pittsburg after the Major’s Air Force retirement. He was employed at Pitt State as Veterans Affairs officer while Liz completed her BA (and later an MA). She began working in 1973 for PSU President Dr. George Budd as a Special Assistant, and then moved to the PR post under both Budd and Dr James Appleberry. Wiley returned to his pre-service career in law enforcement as a Crawford County deputy sheriff. They later operated an antiques' business, and were frequent participants in auctions throughout the Tri-State area.
The oldest of five children born in 1922 to Ralph and Leona Walker of Baxter Springs, Kansas, Elizabeth Walker proved to be a prodigious child with superior grades throughout her school years, engaging in a wide variety of interests from school newspaper to drama, glee club, and tennis. She pursued those interests in college, where she was also crowned Kanza Queen. During WWII, while her husband was in the Navy, she worked at the Jayhawk Ordnance Works. Later, in her years at Boeing, Liz was well known in Wichita Community Theatre where she chaired the successful Special Performance Building Fund campaign, continually acquiring sufficient funds to improve the facilities and support the productions. She was active in city-wide theatrical holiday pageants and was a choir member of the First Methodist Church. She became an Arthur Murray Dance Instructor, where she taught part-time.
A lifelong lover, rescuer, and raiser of German Shepherds, Liz was a member of the Sedgwick County Humane Society and later donated land to the SEK chapter. For a decade, she was an active member of the Kansas Press Association and President of the Wichita Chapter. Other groups she actively participated in included the National Women in Communication’s Organization and the PR Society of America, as well as the Council for Advancement and Support of Education. Liz was an amateur writer, photographer, oil painter, and mineral specimen collector. The latter interest developed as a child, sparked by her family’s interest in the geology of the area.
Elizabeth W. Burris (Liz), former Director of Public Relations and Communications at Pittsburg State University, died at 9:55 a.m. Monday June 25, 2012 at the Medicalodge South Nursing Facility in Pittsburg. She was 90 years old.
The first woman to graduate from Boeing Airplane Company’s management training program in Wichita, Liz worked in PR at Boeing for a decade, serving as Chairman for the Board of Directors of the 35,000 strong Boeing Employees Association. She came to Wichita from Pittsburg post-WW II, having married Art Prince, known in his radio career at ABC News as “Bob Arthur.” They divorced after seven years. One son, Michael, of Washington, DC, survives. She later married Wiley E. Burris, Major, USAF, who preceded her in death. Their children, Kathy Bass, of Frontenac, and Terry Burris, MD of Portland, Oregon also survive.
Wiley and Liz Burris moved to Pittsburg after the Major’s Air Force retirement. He was employed at Pitt State as Veterans Affairs officer while Liz completed her BA (and later an MA). She began working in 1973 for PSU President Dr. George Budd as a Special Assistant, and then moved to the PR post under both Budd and Dr James Appleberry. Wiley returned to his pre-service career in law enforcement as a Crawford County deputy sheriff. They later operated an antiques' business, and were frequent participants in auctions throughout the Tri-State area.
The oldest of five children born in 1922 to Ralph and Leona Walker of Baxter Springs, Kansas, Elizabeth Walker proved to be a prodigious child with superior grades throughout her school years, engaging in a wide variety of interests from school newspaper to drama, glee club, and tennis. She pursued those interests in college, where she was also crowned Kanza Queen. During WWII, while her husband was in the Navy, she worked at the Jayhawk Ordnance Works. Later, in her years at Boeing, Liz was well known in Wichita Community Theatre where she chaired the successful Special Performance Building Fund campaign, continually acquiring sufficient funds to improve the facilities and support the productions. She was active in city-wide theatrical holiday pageants and was a choir member of the First Methodist Church. She became an Arthur Murray Dance Instructor, where she taught part-time.
A lifelong lover, rescuer, and raiser of German Shepherds, Liz was a member of the Sedgwick County Humane Society and later donated land to the SEK chapter. For a decade, she was an active member of the Kansas Press Association and President of the Wichita Chapter. Other groups she actively participated in included the National Women in Communication’s Organization and the PR Society of America, as well as the Council for Advancement and Support of Education. Liz was an amateur writer, photographer, oil painter, and mineral specimen collector. The latter interest developed as a child, sparked by her family’s interest in the geology of the area.
After she and Wiley married, they were stationed first in Wichita; then Nouasseur AFB, Casablanca, and later Torrejon AFB, Madrid for a total of five years. They returned to the States and Barksdale AFB, Shreveport, Louisiana where she sold real estate until Wiley’s retirement. An avid student, Liz took Arabic classes while in Casablanca, then a spate of Spanish language, art, culture, and history classes sponsored by the University of Maryland’s overseas program in Madrid. While in Europe, she became involved as a volunteer writer for base newspapers, volunteered for the American Red Cross, and was a member of the Officers’ Wives Club(s).
She is also survived by two sisters, Mary Bryant of Frontenac and Ann McWhorter of Kansas City; and one brother, Dan Walker, Wichita; ten grandchildren and seven great grandchildren; and one particularly close nephew, Fred Saunders, of Pittsburg—as well as many other nieces and nephews. Two brothers, Joe Walker, PhD, and Bill Walker preceded her in death.
According to her wishes Elizabeth has been taken for cremation. Inurnment and graveside memorial services will be at a later date in the Fort Scott National Cemetey; Fort Scott, KS. Cremation arrangements are under the direction of the Bath-Naylor Funeral Home 522 S. Broadway Pittsburg, KS. Condolences can be sent to www.bathnaylor.com.
