WILLIAM CHARLES BURTO

I just found this obit. Dr. Burto was my professor in 1970-71, and it was a privilege. He was one of the best teachers I ever had, and even today as I teach, I try to pepper my classes with a fact, story, anecdote from another subject area or from life experience to motivate my students as he did me. My condolences to Prof. Barnet.

I was a student at Lowell State in 1954-1959 and was privileged to be in his classes. He was a gifted teacher and a lovely person. He was very generous in his willingness to help me with my creative writing. Please accept my condolences.
Anne Gardner-Kaihlanen

I was a Dr. Burto groupie from 1978-1982. He was an exceptional professor who brought literature to life. He was a gift to his students. He had such dignity and grace and made us fall deeper in love with books and learning in every class he taught.

Bill Burto was an accomplished gardener and devotee of hostas—which are native to Japan. As a copy editor of The Hosta Journal (the publication of the American Hosta Society) he took the homespun prose of gardeners from around the world and made them sound positively lyrical—while maintaining their “voice'. His small Cambridge garden was packed with the choicest hostas purchased from boutique specialty nurseries, given by friends and personally gathered in the wilds of Japan's rugged...

I had the privilege of visiting Prof. Burto and Prof. Barnet in their home in Cambridge and spending a wonderful day with them, viewing the beautiful artworks in their home and being as fascinated by their collection of photographs of Sugimoto as by their exquisite works of calligraphy, and somewhat unexpectedly discussing whether the jargon of contemporary critical theory is justified! I learned so much that day, about taste, graciousness, generosity, not to mention how to make one's opinion...

Scholar, teacher, friend, gardener, chef,lover of poetry, brave man, his death darkens the world.
Helen Vendler

I was an English major at ULowell and I had professor Burto for a Shakespeare course. I remember that the buzz was that he was a great teacher but that it was tough to earn even a B in his class. In fact, what he really expected was that you read the assignments and add something intelligent to the discussions. I am so glad that he was my professor!

we all lost avery soulfull man a dear friend and scholar alice and kurt

I was so very fortunate to have Dr. Burto as my professor both semesters of my freshman year at ULowell - UMASS Lowell. He was truly one of the greats!! Brilliant, empassioned and genteel. Denise Dunn