John Terry Burr

John Terry Burr, 94, of Rochester, NY, peacefully passed away of Parkinson’s Disease at Highland Hospital on June 28th, 2026. He was a cherished husband, father, grandfather, deacon, and friend. John was born in Ohio on Easter Sunday, March 27th, 1932, to Pricilla Brown and Irving Wingate Burr. After being graduated from Grinnell College, in Iowa, he served in the military in France and Germany. He married his first wife, Florence Evelyn Wormser, in 1956, in Chicago. They lived in Germany while he completed his military service, then moved with their young son to Indiana, where John earned a PhD in Analytical Chemistry from Purdue University. Settling in Brockport, NY, and while working at Eastman Kodak and welcoming a daughter, he studied at seminary in Rochester. Ordained as a Episcopal Deacon in 1968, John was assigned to St. Lukes (Brockport) briefly, and then to St. Simons (Rochester) and Two Saints (Rochester) until his retirement in 2020. Upon early retirement from Kodak, he became a professor of Quality Control at Rochester Institute of Technology. After his wife’s death in 1990 on their 33rd anniversary, he found love again with Antoinette Bradford. John and Toni married in 1993, sharing a wonderful 33 years together in Churchville and Rochester. Gardening, traveling, birding, and doing community and church work filled their years. We all will remember John’s compassion, puns (“That bird joke flew right over my head”), and generosity.

However, what John wished to be remembered most was that he did a lot in his life, but his most significant accomplishment was that he loved and was loved by his late first wife, Florence; his children, Michael and Becky; his granddaughter, Kristina; his beloved second wife, Toni; the people of St. Simons; and the people of Two Saints. 

John is survived by his wife, Toni (Rochester); children, Michael (Arcadia, FL) and Becky (Santa Fe, NM); granddaughter, Kristina (Houston, TX); and younger brother, Peter (Washington state). 

A memorial service will celebrate at Two Saints Episcopal Church (17 South Fitzhugh Street, Rochester, NY) on Saturday, July 25th, at 11 am. All are welcome.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to: Two Saints Episcopal Church, Family Promise of Greater Rochester (formerly RAIHN, 142 Webster Avenue, Rochester, NY14609), or Holy Family Episcopal Church (10a Bisbee Court, Santa Fe, NM 87508).