Neil Burton passed forward peacefully with grace and ease on June 5, 2019, surrounded by loving family. Born in Claremont, California on November 16, 1931, Neil was the first child of Elbert and Fern Burton. From Claremont, Neil's family moved to San Marino where he relished his formative years. Neil had many friends, loved playing sports, sang in his church choir, and shared wonderful adventures with his adored German Shepard, Rex. In 1949, he graduated from SPHS where he excelled in sports, math, and English. Outside of school, Neil always had a job. His trademark robust energy and spark landed him opportunities ranging from newspaper boy to carpentry assistant. He developed and applied his mechanical aptitude by working on cars and motorcycles, once rebuilding an entire Model A Ford engine. With the money he saved, Neil and a good buddy took a thrilling summer tour through Europe, on motorcycles they purchased from US soldiers who'd finished their tours and were returning home.

After high school, Neil landed a coveted football scholarship to Rutgers University where he studied civil engineering and excelled in football and lacrosse. After two years at Rutgers, Neil transferred to UC Berkeley where he became an avid squash and handball player and graduated with a BS in Mechanical Engineering in 1954. At Cal, he attracted the attention of Jane Lowry and they married in December 1954. After serving as a US Air Force pilot in Ardmore, Oklahoma, Neil and Jane settled in Kentfield, California with their three daughters:  Elizabeth, Taylor, and Molly. Neil was a hands-on father, nurturing his daughters' athletic, academic, and artistic endeavors. He taught his girls to body surf, tutored them in math, and had fun building drip sandcastles at Stinson Beach where many summers were shared with friends. The Burton family also enjoyed skiing at Alpine Meadows, hiking on Mt Tamalpais, and traveling to Hawaii to spend Christmas vacations with their cousins.

Neil's impeccable work ethic and talents blossomed into his thriving business as an independent building contractor. Inspired by Jane's aesthetic and business acumen, his early work years focused on remodeling projects in nearby Bolinas and Stinson Beach. As his reputation for high quality construction grew, he undertook various contracts, including the Gorilla Grotto at the San Francisco Zoo, the Mount Tamalpais Water Treatment Plant, the former Marin County Courthouse in San Rafael, the stairway entrance to Tamalpais High School, and numerous remodels and spec homes. 

In 1974, following Jane's passing, Neil married Mimi Bentley Black and welcomed her three children to the Kentfield home. Throughout their 45-year marriage, Mimi and Neil enjoyed several shared interests and activities.  These included volunteering with St John's Church and Audubon, family ski trips, playing bridge and tennis with friends, and a passion for birdwatching. They traveled extensively to see birds around the world, including visits to the Bering Strait, Costa Rica, Russia, the Galapagos Islands, Africa, the Caribbean, and the Baltic Sea. Neil remarked that his most memorable bird sighting was of the Stellar Sea Eagle in Kamchatka, Russia.

Singing was another of Neil's passions. He sang with the Loring Club in San Francisco for many years and was a proud member of St John's choir for 45 years. Neil valued lifelong relationships and was loyal to South Pasadena High, Rutgers, and UC Berkeley, through which he enjoyed lively reunions and sponsored trips. Many years of Big Games were shared with his family and friends when Cal played their archrival, Stanford, each autumn.

Remaining here to miss the twinkle in his bright blue eyes are his beloved daughters, devoted wife Mimi, Mimi's three children, and seven grandchildren. One of his favorite things in life besides vanilla ice cream was being a US Air Force pilot and we are comforted knowing that he is now soaring in the heavens with the best of them.

San Francisco Chronicle, August 31, 2019