Obituary for Ruth H. Burkins
Ruth Heaps Burkins, Ph.D., age 90 years of Newark, DE died at her home on Friday evening, August 21, 2020. She was the wife of Charles A. Burkins who died on August 31, 1990.
Born in Pylesville, MD on September 8, 1929, she was the youngest of four children of the late Wilson A. and Maria Jane (Stokes) Heaps of Highland. Ruth attended school at Highland and following graduation began her undergraduate studies at Maryville College in Tennessee. In 1950, she earned her B.A. in Religious Studies with a minor in Secondary Education, returning home in May of that year and marrying shortly thereafter. She began her teaching career in the fall of 1950 at Bel Air High School, a position she maintained until a five-year hiatus to begin raising a family. Ruth returned to teaching in 1958 at North Harford High School and later returned to her studies at the University of Maryland from which she earned her M.Ed. in Secondary Education with a minor in Special Education in 1965. In 1966, with encouragement from a mentor, Annetta Wright she continued her career as a secondary supervisor at schools in Aberdeen, Edgewood and Havre de Grace and in 1978 earned her Ph.D. in Secondary Education from the University of Maryland. In 1983, while the supervisor at Bel Air Middle and High Schools, Dr. Burkins was appointed as the Supervisor of Special Education for the county. She then applied and received a three-year grant from the Maryland Department of Education to develop a curriculum for gifted students which included the general principles for differentiated learning. To that end, Dr. Burkins began recruiting teachers, many of whom would later serve as superintendents and principals.
After her husband suffered a heart attack in 1986, she retired from Harford County the following year after a 32 year career. Dr. Burkins then worked as a consultant for other school systems, the Maryland State Dept. of Education and Baltimore City Public Schools.
The Harford County Retired Personnel Association honored Dr. Burkins by placing her in the Harford County Hall of Fame and in 1995 she was chosen as a Distinguished Alumni Honoree from the University of Maryland College of Education. As a member of the Delta Kappa Gamma Society International, she served in a variety of positions among key women educators.
Dr. Burkins was a lifelong member of the Presbyterian Church and served as an elder at her home church, St. Andrews Presbyterian Church in Newark, DE. She held leadership positions at the New Castle Presbytery and Synod of the Mid-Atlantic and was particularly active with the Presbyterian Women at both the local and Synod levels.
Dr. Burkins adored her granddaughters and great granddaughters and nothing pleased her more than being in the midst of family and friends.
She is survived by
One daughter:
Karen B. Salmon and her husband, John C. Salmon of MD
Sister-in-law:
Janet L. Burkins
Son-in-law:
Aaron M. Wolf of VA
Four granddaughters:
Lynn Marie Kirby and her husband, Jason of VA
Bethanie Anne Jackson of VA
Lauren Elizabeth Salmon and her husband, David Touchette of VA
Rachael Mariah Salmon of MD
Three great granddaughters:
Caitlin Ruth Seifert
Amelia Grace Jackson
Olivia Grace Touchette
In addition to her husband and parents, she was preceded in death by her daughter:
Joan B. Wolf
And siblings:
Ethel Jane Crosley
Jeanne L. Jackson
Henry W. Heaps
No public services are scheduled.
Contributions in her memory may be made to St. Andrews Presbyterian Church, 200 Marrows Rd., Newark, DE 19713
Born in Pylesville, MD on September 8, 1929, she was the youngest of four children of the late Wilson A. and Maria Jane (Stokes) Heaps of Highland. Ruth attended school at Highland and following graduation began her undergraduate studies at Maryville College in Tennessee. In 1950, she earned her B.A. in Religious Studies with a minor in Secondary Education, returning home in May of that year and marrying shortly thereafter. She began her teaching career in the fall of 1950 at Bel Air High School, a position she maintained until a five-year hiatus to begin raising a family. Ruth returned to teaching in 1958 at North Harford High School and later returned to her studies at the University of Maryland from which she earned her M.Ed. in Secondary Education with a minor in Special Education in 1965. In 1966, with encouragement from a mentor, Annetta Wright she continued her career as a secondary supervisor at schools in Aberdeen, Edgewood and Havre de Grace and in 1978 earned her Ph.D. in Secondary Education from the University of Maryland. In 1983, while the supervisor at Bel Air Middle and High Schools, Dr. Burkins was appointed as the Supervisor of Special Education for the county. She then applied and received a three-year grant from the Maryland Department of Education to develop a curriculum for gifted students which included the general principles for differentiated learning. To that end, Dr. Burkins began recruiting teachers, many of whom would later serve as superintendents and principals.
After her husband suffered a heart attack in 1986, she retired from Harford County the following year after a 32 year career. Dr. Burkins then worked as a consultant for other school systems, the Maryland State Dept. of Education and Baltimore City Public Schools.
The Harford County Retired Personnel Association honored Dr. Burkins by placing her in the Harford County Hall of Fame and in 1995 she was chosen as a Distinguished Alumni Honoree from the University of Maryland College of Education. As a member of the Delta Kappa Gamma Society International, she served in a variety of positions among key women educators.
Dr. Burkins was a lifelong member of the Presbyterian Church and served as an elder at her home church, St. Andrews Presbyterian Church in Newark, DE. She held leadership positions at the New Castle Presbytery and Synod of the Mid-Atlantic and was particularly active with the Presbyterian Women at both the local and Synod levels.
Dr. Burkins adored her granddaughters and great granddaughters and nothing pleased her more than being in the midst of family and friends.
She is survived by
One daughter:
Karen B. Salmon and her husband, John C. Salmon of MD
Sister-in-law:
Janet L. Burkins
Son-in-law:
Aaron M. Wolf of VA
Four granddaughters:
Lynn Marie Kirby and her husband, Jason of VA
Bethanie Anne Jackson of VA
Lauren Elizabeth Salmon and her husband, David Touchette of VA
Rachael Mariah Salmon of MD
Three great granddaughters:
Caitlin Ruth Seifert
Amelia Grace Jackson
Olivia Grace Touchette
In addition to her husband and parents, she was preceded in death by her daughter:
Joan B. Wolf
And siblings:
Ethel Jane Crosley
Jeanne L. Jackson
Henry W. Heaps
No public services are scheduled.
Contributions in her memory may be made to St. Andrews Presbyterian Church, 200 Marrows Rd., Newark, DE 19713