OBITUARY Constance A. Burton June 25, 1931 – September 25, 2018 Constance “Connie” (McNally) Burton, 87, passed away peacefully after a brief illness on Tuesday, September 25, surrounded by her loving family. Connie was the widow of Charles Burton II, who died in 1962. A lifelong resident of Fall River, Connie was the daughter of the late Nora and Alfred McNally.
She was a graduate of the Dominican Academy in Fall River and a devout parishioner of both St. Louis Church and St. Mary’s Cathedral in Fall River. Connie devoted her long and full life to her family and was a treasured mother, grandmother, sister, aunt and friend. Widowed at a young age, her total focus was on nurturing and supporting her then infant son, Charles “Chuck” Burton III, insuring he had every opportunity and advantage.
Both had a close devotion throughout life and Chuck has lovingly supported and cared for his mom, especially as she dealt with illness and other challenges in recent years. Her greatest joy was helping to care for her granddaughters, Katie and Jenny Burton, from the time they were infants into adulthood. Connie took great delight this past May in helping Katie celebrate her wedding to Collin Fournier.
Connie faced adversity in her life with strength, grace and fortitude. But most importantly, she had a contagious and mischievous sense of humor that made her a magnet for adventures with her son nieces, nephews and grandchildren. She is fondly remembered as the “favorite aunt” who entertained a crowd of young family members on long vacation trips or just a trip for ice cream.
She was always available to her extended family –whether it was for rides to swimming lessons or words of needed advice. Her family had the advantage of summering together from a young age at the family cottage in Westport where Connie became the resident mother to a brood of 10. Her son and nieces and nephews fondly remember growing up with a tangle of cousins in the crowded boys’ and girls’ bedrooms – all presided over by Aunt Connie.
Later in life, her grown and extended family enjoyed long, philosophical chats with Connie on the cottage’s back porch — about politics, life or her beloved New England Patriots. Her devotion to family occupied much of her time but Connie also enjoyed a distinguished career working for a number of years for the former Massachusetts Department of Labor and Industry and for Aetna Insurance in Fall River. Connie leaves her beloved son, Charles Burton III, and his partner Tracy Lester of Tiverton and East Providence, RI, her granddaughters, Kathleen Fournier and her husband Collin of Tiverton, Jennifer Burton and her partner Stephen Franco, of Bristol, RI, her brother, Alfred J. McNally of Wayne, NJ and three generations of nieces and nephews.
She is predeceased by her beloved sisters, Dorothea Mello and Helen Desmarais, who were also her lifelong best friends. Her Funeral will be held on Monday, October 1, 2018 at 9:00 AM from the Waring-Sullivan Home at Cherry Place, 178 Winter St., Fall River, followed by a Funeral Mass at 10:00 AM in St. Mary’s Cathedral, Spring St., Fall River. Visitation will be held on Sunday from 4:00 to 7:00 PM.
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