Women’s History Month

The Savannah Tribune Celebrates The Life Of
Eloise P. Burwell
 
 

Memorial services for Morris Brown College Alumnus Eloise P. Burwell, Class of ‘51, were held on Tuesday, February 28, 2017 at the Martin Street Church of God, 148 Glenwood Avenue, S. E., Atlanta, GA 30312. Carl M. Williams Funeral Directors, Inc. were in charge of services.

Eloise P. Burwell was born to Lewis and Lula Phillips on June 14, 1925 in Emanuel County, Georgia. After losing her parents at the age of 5, Eloise was adopted and raised by her sister and brother-in-law, Bernetta (“Bennie”) and John Baldwin in Savannah, Georgia.

Eloise received her early education in Savannah, where she attended Kline Street Elementary School and graduated from A. E. Beach High School. She went on to attend Morris Brown College, where she became a member of the Gamma Gamma Chapter of the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority and received her B. S. Degree in 1951. Following graduation, Eloise began her professional career in the Registrar’s Office of Atlanta University where she met the women who would later become her lifelong friends of the “Birthday Club.”

Eloise married Waddell Burwell in 1951 and shortly thereafter went to work at Hughes Spalding as the secretary the the Hospital Administrator. They were the parents to Wesley, born in 1953, and Anita, born in 1960. The Burwell family moved to Monrovia, Liberia in 1955. Eloise was a teacher and then principal of the local school. The family traveled throughout Africa, Europe and the Pacific Rim.

Upon returning to Savannah in 1972, Eloise worked as the Administrative Assistant to the Assistant City Manager and also served as Social Editor and Consultant for the Savannah Tribune. Eloise was an active member of St. Philip AME Church, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority and the Savannah Chapter of the Morris Brown College Alumni Association.

In August 1976, Eloise moved to Atlanta to work as the Director of Alumni Affairs at Morris Brown College and helped to start the Pre-Alumni Council and re-activated several alumni chapters. Eloise was a member of the Women for Morris Brown College and served as one of its Presidents. She left Morris Brown College to work for Macy’s and then Oxford until her retirement.

Eloise was an active member of Flipper Temple A.M.E. Church and served as President of its Art Guild. In 2010 she bagan attending Martin Street Church of God to be closer to her Baldwin family.

Eloise an avid bridge player was a member of the University Bridge Club (UBC). She served in a variety of offices with the Metropolitan Atlanta Bridge Club and the UBC including President and Secretary.

After losing her battle with dementia and cancer, Eloise passed on February 24, 2017.

Eloise Burwell is survived by two children Wesley (Cynthia) Burwell and Anita Burwell, two grandchildren, Martin (Delia) Burwell and Lauren (Brandon) Holmes, two great-grandchildren, Gabriel and Zoe Holmes, one goddaughter Michelle Dennis and the Baldwin Family. She also leaves her nieces and nephew Lauretta Byrd, Marsha McCracken and Charles Gadsen, her “other sons”, Ronald Bickers and Michael Singleton and many devoted friends.

2 thoughts on “Women’s History Month”

  1. Thank you for the “beautiful” tribute to Eloise Phillips Burwell! She was truly a “Christian Lady” with such grace and elegance who enjoyed life and laughter!

  2. Eloise, my namesake, was a wonderful and kind lady. My Soror, church member, and a child of God. Spending time with her was always full of laughs and fun. Her heart was in every thing she did. I’ll never forget her spirit and love of life.

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