The Active Age lost a treasured friend and volunteer when Delores Burris died on Jan. 16 at age 78.
If you received a copy of our newspaper over the past 12 years, it was likely due to Delores, who kept our subscription list updated.
Despite the fact that she had a full-time job, Delores came to our office on West Street every Tuesday and worked for all or most of the morning.
Delores grew up in South Haven, Kan., the 11th of 13 children. She was stricken with polio as a child and never regained use of her legs. She graduated from high school, attended business college in Wichita and after that “was off and flying,” her younger sister, Betty Jacobs, said.
Delores owned a direct mail business with a family member. After they sold it, the new owners asked her to come back to work for them, which she did part-time at first, then full-time. In 2009, The Active Age advertised for a volunteer to maintain its mailing list, and Delores signed on.
Delores and Richard, her husband of 49 years, were animal lovers who rescued several dogs. In the past, she had volunteered for the Senior Expo and Kansas Food Bank and advocated on behalf of better accessibility for disabled people. She drove herself around town in a modified van.
“She did a lot,” her sister said. “She really did.”
