James Russell Burton Jr.

James Russell Burton, Jr. (Rusty) passed away on Wednesday, February 5th at Lakewood Retirement Community in Richmond, VA. He was a loving father to his sons Jay (Nadine), Jeff (Mary), and Jerry; and grandfather (aka Papa) to Luke, Reagan, Owen, Brandon, and Samantha. He is also survived by his sister, Lorraine Burton Brittle (Robert). Rusty was predeceased by his beloved wife of 58 years, Ann Howell Burton, and by his sister, Maurianne Burton Roberson (William).

Rusty will be remembered by those that knew him well as a loving husband, father, and grandfather; a warm and jovial friend; and a dedicated community servant. He enjoyed reading, playing and watching sports (especially the Virginia Cavaliers), drinking a well-made Manhattan cocktail, and quiet relaxation at the beach. But nothing brought more joy to Rusty than spending time with his family. He coached all three boys in their youth sports, led the family on memorable family vacations, and cherished the time with his grandchildren.

Rusty was born and raised in Richmond, graduating from John Marshall High School in 1959. He attended Grace Baptist Church where, as a teenager, he met and fell in love with Ann. After graduating from Furman University in 1963, he returned to settle in Richmond where he and Ann married in 1964. Throughout their 6 decades together, they modeled love and care for their family, friends, and community before Ann passed away in 2022.

Rusty was an active church-goer throughout his life, frequently serving as a deacon and/or Sunday School teacher at Grace Baptist Church and Derbyshire Baptist Church in Richmond, First Baptist Church in Waynesboro, and First Baptist Church in Danville.

Rusty spent most of his professional career as a manager in Virginia community banks - first in Richmond, then in Augusta County, and then in Danville before retiring from Signet Bank in 1998. Rusty and Ann moved to Emerald Isle, NC for a year before settling back in Richmond. He was the quintessential community banker who believed in relationships. He often joked that he could not have succeeded in the modern, technology-driven banking industry.

A constant theme of Rusty’s life was service to others. After graduating from Furman, he founded the Richmond chapter of the Furman University Alumni Association and served as its president. He also served on the Furman Alumni Board of Trustees. He was a founding member of the Richmond Touchdown Club, and a member of the Richmond Jaycees. In Augusta County, he was a board member of the Waynesboro-East Augusta Chamber of Commerce, president of the Stuarts Draft Chamber of Commerce, president of the Stuarts Draft Ruritan Club, and president of the Stuarts Draft Bambino Youth Baseball League. In Danville, he was president of the Danville Chamber of Commerce, president and campaign chair of the Danville United Way, president of the Danville YMCA, board member of the Danville Industrial Development Corporation, and member of the Danville Rotary Club. In retirement at Lakewood, he established the Current Events discussion group and led it for a decade, served as his building’s president on the tenant’s board, and volunteered as a mentor at the Tuckahoe YMCA.

The family would like to express their profound gratitude to all the caregivers at Lakewood, Medi Home Hospice, extended family and loyal friends who have looked after Dad during these last few weeks.

A memorial service will be held at 1 pm on Saturday, March 1, 2025 at Derbyshire Baptist Church, 8800 Derbyshire Rd, Richmond. An informal reception will follow in the church’s Fellowship Hall.

In lieu of flowers, and in honor of Rusty’s love of community service, the family has established the Rusty & Ann Burton Points of Light Charitable Giving Fund that will be used to help youth imagine, incubate, and launch community service projects in their communities. The fund will be administered by the H3 Baseball board of directors. Donations can be made at: https://h3baseball.org/