Visitation held for Mat-Su Borough School District Superintendent

July 07, 2011|By Christine Kim | Channel 2 News

ANCHORAGE, Alaska — Close friends and family gathered at the Alaskan Heritage Memorial Chapel to celebrate a life and say goodbye to a man many say did so much for the community, in a short length of ti

“I think he touched a lot of homes,” said Reverend Fred Ledbetter. “I think he touched a lot of homes through the children.”

A visitation was held Thursday evening for the Mat-Su Borough School District Superintendent Dr. Kenneth Burnley, who died unexpectedly Saturday morning after a knee surgery.

“The community will miss him in a great way,” said Reverend Ledbetter.

From settling contracts to pin-pointing budget projections, Dr. Burnley exceeded the school district's high expectations in one year. Colleagues say he had an inner drive to do what's right for kids.

“He really, really enjoyed the kids, and he wanted to make a difference in kids’ lives,” said Mat-Su Borough School District School Board President Mike Dunleavy. “Every single child deserved the best possible education.”

For 47 years, Dr. Burnley has served students. He was superintendent of 4 school districts around the country.

“The common thread through all of the positions he held included placing women, minorities and those experiencing disabilities in key positions in his administrations,” said his wife, Eileen Burnley in a statement. “He was proud of their accomplishments and often voiced his praise.”

Dr. Burnley won the National Superintendent of the Year award in 1993, while he worked in Colorado, and his son is following his footsteps. He'll be teaching 3^rd grade at that same school district.

“They all have the great leadership traits that he has. I can definitely see a legacy being kept,” said Reverend Ledbetter.

A celebration of life for Dr. Burnley will be held July 8th at Teeland Middle School at 11 a.m. The family asks that in lieu of flowers, contributions be made to the Kenneth Stephen Burnley Memorial Fund at any Wells Fargo bank. That money will go to scholarships for students in the 4 school districts Dr. Burnley has worked for.

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