Norman Burt Obituary

Durango resident Norman James Burt died Monday, Dec. 2, 2013, at his home. He turned 80 three weeks earlier.

Known as "Norm," he was born to James and Violet Burt on Nov. 10, 1933, in McPhee, which is now submerged under McPhee Reservoir. One of four children, he grew up in Durango and graduated from Durango High School in 1951.

Mr. Burt served as a key punch operator in the Air Force and was stationed in Korea during the Korean War.

In 1954, he married Mildred Irene Powell in San Antonio. The marriage later ended in divorce.

Mr. Burt set up the Durango Police Department's first computer system before going on to spend 30 years in the mental-health field. He and his wife, Barbara Partridge, founded and ran several group homes for the mentally ill, including Sheltering Oak and Little Acorn.

In the early 1970s, he married Barbara Partridge in Aztec.

"He was a member of the American Legion Post No. 28, in Durango, where many stories are still talked about to this day about how giving he was," according to Mr. Burt's family.

He also enjoyed fishing and hunting.

Mr. Burt was preceded in death by his wife of almost 30 years, Barbara Burt, in 2002.

He is survived by his sons Clifton Burt of San Antonio and Michael Burt of Edgewood, Texas; daughters Michelle (Klein) Hover of Durango, Sharon Bose of San Antonio and Heidi Burt McLaughlin of San Francisco; 12 grandchildren; six great-grandchildren; and numerous nieces and nephews.

A celebration of life and potluck will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 7, 2013, at the American Legion Post No. 28, 878 East Second Ave.