Burris Devanney

He is survived by his wife of 59 years Louanne (Webb) Devanney, his children Matthew (Liliana Ferro Isaza) and Sara (Rory Leitch), his grandson Henry Leitch, his brother Terrance, many nieces and nephews, and three half-sisters. He is predeceased by his father Conrad Burris Devanney (1983) and his mother Elizabeth (Gorman) Devanney (1999).

Burris was born in Halifax and grew up on Bayers Road. He always spoke fondly of his adventures as a kid in west-end Halifax – playing baseball at nearby parks, sneaking into the Wanderers Ground games with friends, and attending St. Patrick’s High School, where he played on the football team. His father Conrad left the family when Burris was 12 and his brother Terry was 8. Fortunately, in those days the government provided “war houses”: decent, durable pre-fabricated houses for low-income families. This government support enabled his mother Betty to provide for her two boys on the income from her hourly wage as a sales-clerk.

Burris graduated from St. Patrick’s High School with a full scholarship to Saint Mary’s University, where he did a double major in English Literature and Philosophy, graduating in 1958. He followed this with a Bachelor of Education at Dalhousie University. Burris began his teaching career as an English teacher at St. Patrick’s High School. He was an English teacher, Vice Principal, and Principal at Halifax West High School, as well as a Principal at JL Ilsley. He retired in 1994.

Burris’ active life is characterized by the value he placed on social activism and community involvement. In 1965, he married Louanne Webb, and six weeks after their marriage, they moved to Rhodesia (Zimbabwe) where Burris taught English at the Tegwani Secondary Training School near Bulawayo, and at the Government College in Umuahia, in Eastern Nigeria. The remarkable experiences they had, as well as the important history of these two countries at the time they were living there, are captured in Burris’ book African Chronicles – a memoir (2009).

Burris and Louanne returned to Halifax in 1967 to settle down and begin a family. Their daughter Sara was born in 1968 and son Matthew in 1970. In addition to his full-time teaching, Burris became actively involved in the New Democratic Party, running for federal election in the riding of Halifax East Hants in 1968, and for provincial elections in 1970 and 1974. He didn’t win, but he continued to stay involved, serving as provincial party president (1968-1970), and working with Louanne on many election campaigns in the 1970s, 80s, and 2000s. This activism later culminated in Burris being the principal writer of Always a Work in Progress: Policies of the Nova Scotia New Democratic Party 1962-2016 (2016). In addition to his involvement with politics, Burris coached football at St. Pat’s High School and Halifax West; he coached girls’ softball at Halifax West; he helped initiate the Teen Health Centre at JL Ilsley. He served as President of the Halifax Trojans Aquatic Club in 1981-82.

In 1982, Burris accepted the position of Registrar and Administrative Assistant for the Gambia Technical Training Institute (GTTI) in The Gambia, West Africa. His family lived in The Gambia for two years. Returning from The Gambia in 1984, Burris became focused on the impact social justice initiatives could have on international development. In 1986, he brought a group of high school students to the Gambia from Halifax West High School, which along with other development education initiatives, led to the formation of the Nova Scotia Gambia Association (the NSGA 1986-2006). The important and innovative work of the NSGA included Peer Health Programs where Gambian students taught health issues in their classrooms and their communities; the University Extension Program with Saint Mary’s University that enabled Gambians to get a university degree at home in The Gambia; and many collaborations between teachers and students from The Gambia and Nova Scotia. Once he was no longer active with the NSGA, under UNESCO, Burris introduced the Peer Education model for youth empowerment in Malawi (2007-09). In 2007, Burris returned to the Canadian Teachers Federation as a volunteer and until 2018 worked with teachers’ unions in Ghana and Uganda introducing community mobilizations to remote areas of the country. Burris wrote about his family’s experiences in The Gambia from 1982-84 and the work of the NSGA in his book The Gambia Saga: The Epic Tale of a Unique Canadian NGO and a Fearless Little Country in Africa (2016).

Shortly after returning from Uganda in the spring of 2019 at the age of 79, Burris had a heart attack that led him to step away from his involvement in international development projects, but not surprisingly, he continued to be as active as he could. He had always loved playing sports including football, tennis, squash and running. At age 80, he joined the Monarch’s Senior Baseball Team, very happy to play baseball with a community of men who also love sports. He was proud to deliver The Burris Devanney Leadership Award to the Player of the Year in 2022-2024.

Burris was also very proud of his family. He was pleased that both Sara and Matthew became teachers. He was proud of his grandson Henry and his active involvement in sports, music, and student government in high school. As a father and grandfather, Burris never missed a sporting event, a musical concert, a family occasion.

Burris led an extraordinary life. Through his passionate involvement with teaching, coaching, politics, and international development, he provided leadership that helped to make the world better. He didn’t do it alone. Many people helped and supported and inspired him in his vision for a more just society, including Louanne, who was with him every step of the way.

In July of 2024, Burris’ heart began to further decline. His family is very grateful to Dr. Barry Clarke his GP, and the dedicated team of doctors and nurses at the QEII who helped him to live his final months with comfort and hope.

Commemoration of Burris’ life will take place at Snow’s Funeral Home, 339 Lacewood Drive, in Halifax from 2-4pm on Saturday, January 25th. At 2:30 pm, the family will welcome guests.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Doctors Without Borders / Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) Canada or a local Shelter for Persons Without Homes.