Executive Councilor Ray Burton, who died November 12th, was remembered yesterday at a Memorial Service held at Plymouth State University. Dignitaries large and small gathered together with Burton's friends and family to remember the longtime political face of the North Country. NHPR's Sean Hurley attended the event and sends us this report.
Ray Burton liked classic cars. Preferred typewriters to computers. Took thousands of photographs of his constituents with a disposable camera and liked to hand out unbreakable combs inscribed with his campaign slogan "Burton for Certain". But above it all, as Governor Hassan said, Ray Burton was a consummate public servant.
For nearly 40 years, Ray Burton stood up for and fought for the people and communities of the North Country with a passion that can never be matched.
Former Governor Lynch recalled Burton's mercurial working methods.
Now in all of these Executive Council meetings, we did not follow Robert's Rules of Order. We followed Ray Burton's Rules of Order. Ray Burton was the only Executive Councilor in the history of the state of New Hampshire who could make a motion and Second his own motion.
State Senator Lou D'Allesandro spoke of Burton's infectious vital spark.
You know when I think of Ray Burton I think of "Hey! I'm doing what I love and I love what I do. Every day!"
For NHPR, I'm SH
