Honoring Steve Burnett
Reflections on the wonderful life of our beloved market volunteer, Steve Burnett.
Honoring Steve Burnett
We write today’s newsletter with heavy hearts. Last week, on October 24, Stephen Burnett passed away in Atlanta, GA. He was beloved and joyful, and a quintessential member of the market. Many of you probably remember being greeted by Steve in the pick-up line. He’d greet you with a warm smile and go right into a long conversation as you waited for your week’s groceries.
Steve dedicated his life to service. He attended Wake Forest University and the University of Tennessee. He served in the Transportation Corps of the US Army at Ft. Eust’s, VA, and later at Cam Ranch Bay, South Vietnam where he was awarded the Bronze star. He then became a partner at Touche Ross & Co. Outside of work, he was a a member of the 1980-81 class of Leadership Atlanta, a panelist on Fulton County’s Special Grand Jury, and a member of the vestry of St. Luke’s Episcopal Church. Upon retiring in Sewanee, he kept this spirit of service and became actively involved in the Sewanee community. In addition to working at the farmer’s market, he taught church finance to seminarians at the School of Theology, fundraised for the Sewanee Civic Association, volunteered for the Sewanee Music Festival, served as the Trustee of the University, and judged the Sewanee 4th of July Mutt show.
“Steve greeted friends and strangers alike with an open heart and genuine curiosity. He approached life with a silly sense of humor and tended to get misty-eyed whenever he felt joy or pride, which was often. He had an uncanny memory for people and places, and loved history, trivia, 50s rock n’ roll, The Princess Bride, and dad jokes. Whether on the tennis or pickleball court, he brought the same gregariousness that made every moment in his company a joy. His spirit of kindness lives on through his family who carry with them his appreciation for others, the importance of work for social justice, and the value of a purposeful life.”
See his full obituary here.
Jess Wilson, Emily Dudley, and Brooks Egerton reflect on their memories with Steve at the market.
Jess writes, “Stephen enjoyed greeting and directing cars when they came to pick up their orders. He’d wear his heated vest when it was bitter cold and sometimes keep a plate of watermelon handy to help fuel himself through the hottest days. He loved helping, but especially loved checking in with people and it added a special touch to the market at a time when we were still recovering from COVID protocols and not yet ready to be completely out and about. He was a bright light in our community and will be greatly missed.”
Emily writes, “Sometimes we would have to radio out to Steve to ask for people’s names because he skipped over that and went right to catching up! He was involved in pretty much everything around town and would come to the market with stories and updates each week. I always looked forward to hearing what he had to share. He could chat with anyone about pretty much anything and took an interest in people. When I told Nancy that I was hosting our family thanksgiving for the first time and was trying to plan for all the dishes and lots of people, she offered that we could use some of their entertaining ware if we needed it. When Steve came to market, he gifted us one of their casserole dishes. It came in handy, and now it always reminds me of Nancy and Steve.”
Brooks writes, “We had this huge pothole in the drive up area in front of the community center, and Stephen said, ‘no way!’ He contacted the road commission and got them to smooth out the whole parking lot. I definitely remember how he’d forget to radio in the names because he was too busy chatting.”
In Steve’s honor, invite in curiosity, connection, and joy. With Nancy’s encouragement, you can also donate to the CAC in memory of Steve.
Stephen Burnett’s Celebration of Life will be held at St. Mark St. Paul on December 13th at 2:00 PM. In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to The Episcopal Parish of St. Mark and St. Paul in his honor.
How to donate to the Community Action Committee (CAC)!
With the government shutdown and attacks on SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) and WIC (Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children), nationally, 42 million people are at risk of losing food aid. In our tri-county community, thousands of people depend on this assistance.
Our local food pantries need donations now more than ever. The CAC is working to address poverty, food security and sovereignty on the mountain through providing food, access to hygiene items not commonly held at food pantries, and relocation and bill assistance.
You can donate to them directly on Open Food Network when you go to place your market order — Look for the CAC donation item near the top of the page when you go to our shopfront, or in the Special Offers category.
Happenings in and around Sewanee:
The Solstice Holiday Market and Potluck
Instead of our traditional pickup on Tuesday, December 23, we’ll have a potluck and in-person shopping on Sunday, December 21. You also have the option to pre-order if you’d like to. We hope to see you there! Please spread the word.
Market Offerings
Thanksgiving is coming up, so make sure you grab your turkey! You can pay with a deposit this week from Nature’s Wealth “For Your Health” or Cove Creek Farm in preparation for November 27.
Recycling with the SCFM
Did you get your order in a nice produce box or a sturdy paper bag last week? Don’t know what to do with it?? We want them back so we can reuse them all year!
The SCFM relies on community contributions of paper bags and cardboard boxes to fulfill our orders — we really appreciate all your efforts to bring us your paper recycling. Thank you for helping make the market possible!
Volunteering with the SCFM
In case you didn’t notice, pickup day can get kinda busy! If you would like to come help out as a volunteer and earn a $5 market credit per every 2 hour shift, please sign up below.
Have an event, idea, or announcement you want featured in the newsletter?
Have a special topic you want covered? Something you want to learn more about? Want something featured in the newsletter? Let us know at cumberlandfm@gmail.com.
Thank you, as always, for supporting the South Cumberland Farmer’s Market. You can further support local food initiatives by purchasing donations for our CAC partnership, the Open Food Network, or for the SCFM operating costs. We appreciate YOU!