Burtram W. "Burt" Anderson

Burtram W. Anderson (Burt) peacefully passed on February 13, 2025, surrounded by his family and just in time to spend Valentines Day with his beloved Ellen, the love of his long and beautiful life.
Burt was born in Millburn, New Jersey in 1934 to his parents, Roy and Esther. His parents were both educators and this created a keen interest in education and learning throughout his life. As friends and family know, he lovingly spoke of his childhood with his sister Barbara and cousin Claire Engle tending to his chickens and the family's Victory Garden during the war.
At Millburn High School, he served as Class President, played basketball and when struck by the injustice of an African American friend not being allowed to swim with him in a local pool, built his graduation speech around the notion that all men are created equal and no matter the color of their skin, everyone should be treated the same. In 1952 this was enlightened thinking, a decade before the height of the civil rights movement.
Burt continued his education at Cornell University where he was a member of the Beta Theta Pi fraternity. As his immense luck would have it, his cousin Claire mentioned to him that her sorority "needed a boy" to wash dishes. A role that clearly gave him his love of washing dishes that we all know and that his entire family took advantage of at numerous family gatherings!
But then again, who could blame him as, while diligently scrubbing, into the kitchen walked the most beautiful girl he'd ever seen-his future wife Ellen. Even with a diminishing memory in later years he would glow while conveying the memory of the wave of her ponytail as she walked into the room that very first time.
After an extended courtship, Burt and Ellen married. Burt was drafted into the army and while working in administration at the Brooklyn Army Terminal in New York, was there for the processing of Elvis Presley.
Burt then worked for the Kroger Company in Cincinnati, Ohio where their first child William was born.
After accepting a job with West Virginia Pulp and Paper in New York, they settled in New Jersey close to their respective families and welcomed their son David and then their daughter Jennifer.
At the same time, he earned his master's degree at N.Y.U. during evenings and weekends.
Shortly afterwards they relocated to Youngstown, New York where Burt worked for C.J. Tower & Sons, building the company into the largest customs house broker in the U.S. and subsequently through the sale of the company to FedEx when he then retired, splitting time between Youngstown and their Winter home in Vero Beach, Florida.
Burt was guided throughout his life by his faith and always giving back to others. He and Ellen were devoted and active members of Unity Church of Buffalo and the Unity Center of Vero Beach. Active to the end, Burt could always be persuaded to lend a hand, go for long walks, work in his garden, finish a project, make a list, attend events with family, most recently dancing into the night at one of his granddaughter's weddings, and often at the end of the day would indulge his love of music. He was always there for others and gave completely of himself unselfishly.
He was a renaissance man and his family's guide in life and our hero.
Burt is survived by his three children and their respective families including eight grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.
He will be missed every day.
Donations in his name may be made to Unity of Buffalo at www.unitybuffalo.org