Obituary of Ellen Mary Burt

Ellen Mary (Snyder) Burt, beloved wife, mother, grandmother, sister, and friend passed away peacefully surrounded by her family on August 3rd at Albany Medical Center at the age of 78. Ellen was born January 12, 1943, to John and Mildred Snyder in Herkimer, NY. She received her degree in elementary education from Potsdam College in 1965 and taught at Ichabod Crane Central School in Valatie, NY for over 25 years. Ellen met future husband Winston at Ralph's Tavern in Albany, NY. Winston was smitten by Ellen's bright smile and love of sports. After an extended courtship, they wed July 31, 1971, in Newport, NY. They settled in Valatie, NY where they raised two children together. Ellen and Winston shared a wide-ranging circle of friends and loved to entertain at their home. As a teacher, Ellen inspired countless students with her good humor and dedication to learning. Ellen's own children grew up surrounded by her prodigious book collection and inherited her love of literature. She leant many books from the overflowing stacks and maintained a steady stream of donations to local libraries. For over 20 years, Ellen organized a golf league for fellow teachers and friends. The "Loose League" was established as a place to play golf for the fun of it. It also featured one of Ellen's favorite activities: dining out and socializing. She absolutely loved people and radiated kindness. She would get the life story of practically every bartender or server she met and delighted her to leave generous gratuities. Growing up on a farm, Ellen loved animals and rode horses in the shadow of the Adirondack Mountains. She also developed a lifelong passion for gardening or as she called it "digging in the dirt." The result of her dedication was an annual "Tulip Fest" she held for family and friends to behold the wide array of dazzling tulips, hyacinths, and daffodils. Ellen also relished any opportunity to share her green thumb and planted innumerable bulbs for friends. Ellen was enamored with baseball from a young age. She rooted for the Brooklyn Dodgers, later LA, and then adopted the Red Sox because Winston was a fan. Countless strangers in baseball hats or t-shirts marveled at Ellen's gregarious nature. She never hesitated to strike up a conversation with anyone about the sport she loved, be it at a stadium, bar, or even in line at the grocery store. Ellen is survived by her husband of 50 years, Winston Burt II, son Winston Burt III and his wife Mikel, two granddaughters Morgan and Sylvia Burt, daughter Amanda Burt, her brothers John Snyder (Beth), and Edward "Ned" Snyder (Nora), and numerous cousins, nieces, nephews, and friends. She was predeceased by her brother William "Bill" Snyder. A wake will be held between the hours of 4 and 7 pm, Monday, August 9th at Raymond E Bond Funeral Home, 1015 Kinderhook St, Valatie, NY. Funeral services are scheduled at 10 am on Tuesday, August 10th at St. John's Church, 1025 Kinderhook St, Valatie, NY. In lieu of flowers, please send donations to the American Stroke Association or the Valatie Rescue Squad.