Howard Burt

1929 - 2020

BURT, Howard Howard Burt, MD, a longtime resident of Georgetown and Austin, Texas, died in his sleep on December 19, 2020. He was born June 24, 1929 in St. Louis, Missouri, to Howard Burt, Sr. and Della Lawrence Burt, His father had been an Assistant Professor of Biology at Texas A&M University and his mother was the first Executive Secretary of Kappa Kappa Gamma, then located in Bryan, Texas. He attended schools in St. Louis, Missouri, Belleville, Illinois, and Oneonta, New York and was valedictorian of his 1947 high school graduating class in Norwich, New York. He was proudest of winning an award for athletic participation even though his only varsity letters were in wrestling and golf. He attended Rice University from 1947 to 1951 and graduated from the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston in 1954. He married Helen Frances Wilson of Austin, Texas on September 4, 1952. After graduation he entered the Army and interned at Madigan Army Hospital, Fort Lewis, Washington. Joining the Regular Army, he did a residency in dermatology at Brooke Army Hospital, Fort Sam Houston, San Antonio, Texas. Upon completion of his residency in 1958, he was assigned to the 34th General Hospital at La Chapelle-St. Mesmin, France on the Loire River near Orléans. He returned to the United States in April 1962 and served briefly at Fort Chaffee, Arkansas before resigning his commission in July 1962. Dr. Burt practiced dermatology in Austin for the next 20 years with offices on Rio Grande, 32nd Street and in Medical Park Tower. He moved his medical practice to Georgetown in 1980, practicing for 18 more years before retiring in 1998. He joined the Texas National Guard in 1963, transferred to the Air Force Reserve in 1966 and became a Flight Surgeon in 1972. He commanded the 496th Medical Service Flight at Bergstrom AFB and retired from the Air Force Reserve in 1990. He was preceded in death by his parents, and by his youngest son, Donald Howard Burt. He is survived by his wife, Penny Puryear Burt, now a resident of Westminster Manor in Austin, Texas; his daughter, Laura Ellen Burt, of San Antonio; his sons, Charles Edward Burt of Georgetown, and Steven Brian Burt (Jennie) of Austin, and six grandchildren. Dr. Burt was active at various times in the North Austin Rotary Club, The Georgetown Rotary Club, Austin Child Guidance Center, the Georgetown Community Service Center (The Caring Place), thr Eanes ISD School Board, the University of Texas SAGE program (Seminars for Adult Growth and Enrichment), and Senior University Georgetown. During his time on the Eanes School Board, the board approved moving forward with a bond election to acquire land and commence construction of Westlake High School, despite significant opposition that felt the community would not have sufficient tax base to support continuing growth. Dr. Burt was a strong proponent of education throughout his life, and the family requests that in lieu of flowers, any memorial donations be made to Rice University in Houston, the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, the Eanes ISD, or any educational institution of your choice. A celebration of his life will be held later post-Covid-19.