Uncrowned Community Builders

Deborah May Burt was born on January 3, 1952 to Jim and Susie Frails in Niagara Falls, New York. She attended the Niagara Falls Public School System, and was a graduate of Niagara Falls High School. Deborah relocated to Buffalo, New York in 1978 and matriculated as a student at the State University of New York College at Buffalo, graduating in 1980, with a Bachelor of Science degree in Education. She continued her studies at Buffalo State, earning a Master of Science degree in Education in 1985.


Deborah was employed by the Buffalo Board of Education, as a special education teacher, until her retirement in 2010. She was a dedicated teacher, who thought of her students as one of her own children, which led her to provide home-instruction for families in the evenings. As a testament to her impact as a teacher, she was blessed to have one of her former students, at her bedside, along with her family upon her passing. Deborah was passionate about education, and she encouraged her students to develop their academic, and their life-skills, which enabled them to successfully live and work independently. Her contributions as an educator will be deeply felt in the lives of those she taught and mentored, both in and out of the classroom for many years to come.


Having been raised to know and love the Lord, Deborah was baptized at the Mt. Erie Baptist Church, under the pastorate of the late, J.M. Bradley. She renewed her commitment to the Lord, by united with the Calvary Baptist Church, and later the Elim Christian Fellowship, both under the pastorate of Bishop T. Anthony Bronner. She remained a faithful member of Elim, and an active member of the ESTHER Project, under the leadership of Elder Ernestine Richardson.


A person who was civic and service minded, Deborah became a member of the Niagara Falls New York Chapter of The Links, Inc., in 2000, and she served as a member of the National and the International Trends & Services Committee, as well as a member of the following committees: Arts; Services to Youth; Bi-Laws; Membership; Fundraising and Scholarship.


In 1991, Deborah met, and later married Mr. Charles Frederick Burt, the love of her life, and together the couple created a loving and nurturing home for their daughters, Kimberly, Robyn and Jhenne'. Deborah and Charles were inseparable. They truly complemented each other, and enjoyed living life together. As a devoted wife and mother, she was the glue that held her family together. She was a strong-minded woman, who always put the concerns of her family before her own. She encouraged her family to put their trust in the Lord, and demonstrated her faith to them, by leading a godly life before them. Their family grew to include four grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.


Deborah lived her full life, standing as an example of trustworthiness, stewardship, dependability and true friendship; working to the best of her ability, always with her warm and beautiful smile