Alma Mary Burr, talented, accomplished woman

Alma Mary Burr, 101, beloved wife, sister and aunt of Lewes, passed away Sunday, May 29, 2022. She was born Dec. 5, 1920, in Burlington, N.J., daughter of the late Frank Ambler (formerly April) and Alma (Johnson) Ambler. Being raised on a small farm that grew fruits and vegetables, these foods were a substantial portion of her diet throughout Alma’s life, which, in part, may account for her longevity. Her close bond with her only sibling and sister, Barbara, six years younger, developed into a lifelong best friend relationship.

At the age of 17, Alma graduated from Burlington High School, Burlington, N.J., in 1938, with the distinction that during all four years of high school, she made the honor roll, never missed a day of school and was never late for class. She completed courses in the commercial curriculum during high school. In 1941, she started working as a bookkeeper for Wall Rope Works (WRW), one of only three rope manufacturers in the U.S. at that time, which was located in nearby Beverly, N.J. 

At WRW, Alma’s career flourished due to her competency, can-do and pitch-in where needed attitude, dedicated work ethic, and fierce loyalty to the company. While working at WRW, she met and fell in love with Snowden Haines Burr, the office manager at the company, and they were married in 1947. During her 40 years of employment at WRW, Alma became a supervisor of staff in the payroll and personnel departments. 

Although Alma and Snowden did not have any children, at different times they had and dearly loved two Boston Terriers, each named Chipper. Alma and Snowden were the most wonderful aunt and uncle to Barbara’s children, Randy and Rhonda, and Alma was like a second mother to them. Aunt Alma and Uncle “Snowdie” were fun-loving, fun to be with, had great senses of humor, and were generous without measure with each other and Randy and Rhonda. Alma had a joyful and infectious laugh that would make others, even strangers, laugh or smile simply by hearing her. 

Alma’s love for reading developed during her childhood and continued throughout her 101 years of life, reading several books each month, which fueled her passion to be a lifelong learner. She was well versed in current events, could easily converse on a wide range of topics and was a WWII history buff. 

For more than 50 years, Alma lived in the same home that once stood at 1024 S. Cooper Street in Beverly, that she and Snowden had built in 1951. Even as a widow, Alma tackled numerous DYI home improvement and repair projects. She was artistic in painting ceramics, was an excellent seamstress, upholsterer and embroiderer, could knit and crochet, and played the piano superbly. She was a member of the “Greatest Generation” who was smart, self-reliant, big-hearted, and patriotic. Like her mother and sister, she was one of the most talented, accomplished, giving, and loving women in the lives of Randy and Rhonda, and they will always love her and feel grateful to have had her as their Aunt Alma. 

Alma will be forever missed, and is survived by her nephew, William Randolph (Randy) Rhoda of Stoughton, Mass.; and her niece, Rhonda Rhoda Kane and nephew-in-law Paul Michael Kane of Lewes.

Private funeral services were held Thursday, June 16, at Odd Fellows Cemetery, Burlington, N.J., where Alma was interred in the same gravesite as her husband.

Visit Alma’s Life Tribute webpage at parsellfuneralhomes.com to share a comment or memory.