Roy St. Clair Burnham

Roy St. Clair Burnham of Bloomfield Connecticut left this world peacefully on April 10, 2025 at the age of ninety-nine. 

He was born on March 1, 1926 in the parish of St. Michael, Barbados to the late Viola and Edvin Rock. 

Roy was five years old when he started his education at Mrs. Morris Infant School, he went on to St. Leonard’s Boys School.  When his father passed away at age forty-two, Roy, being the second oldest of eight children, six girls and two boys, felt a sense of responsibility to help support his mother and siblings. Therefore, he went to work at the Bridgetown Market with his uncle, Archie.  In 1946 he emigrated to the United States and when to worked for Benbow Sugar Farm in Florida. It was hard work and he missed home. He used to say “if I have seen a donkey cart going back to Barbados, I would have jumped on it”.  But his goals were to provide support for his family back home and to make a better life for himself in the USA.  After fulfilling the contractual obligation with the farm labor program, he was extremely happy to return to Barbados. It was a joyous time for the entire family.  Several years later he went back to Florida.  He worked for a while, accumulating enough money to purchase a car and headed north, first to Maryland then to Hartford, Connecticut.  In Hartford, he worked during the day and attended night school at Prince Tech to study machinery which eventually led a job at Pratt and Whitney, where he worked for 35 years.  He was an excellent worker and received many service awards.  After years of contemplating his retirement, he finally pulled the trigger in 2000. Then he was able to work on those little projects around the house.  He and wife also spent time at the North End Senior Center where they met new friends, went on trips, and did volunteer work.

Roy believed in family.  He never missed an opportunity to visit his family in New York, Canada and Barbados.  He was extremely proud of his nieces and nephews.  He and the love of his life, Eldorene, who he simply call El were married for forty-four years.  They went everywhere together except occasionally when he went to Keney Park to watch cricket.  Roy had a passion for bowling and horse racing.  He liked watching baseball but never understood football, questioning why such big men fight for one little ball.  He wondered, with the amount of money they make why not buy each one a  ball and solve the problem. His favorite television shows were Sixty Minutes and the Animal Kingdom. He was a great storyteller with a knack for telling jokes that would make you laugh and cry at the same time.  Roy was very generous, always willing to help others in need.  He was a joy to be around and will be greatly missed.

He is now reunited with his late brother Clyde Burnham, AKA uncle Dirget, late sisters, Daphne DeVonish, Alma Grandison, Thelma Billingy, Sylvia Beckles, and Gwendolyn Hollingsworth.

He is survived by his beloved wife, Marjorie Eldorene Burnham, sons Rudy, Jerry, Eddie and Valence.  Daughter, Marva, as well as his sisters, Orial (Melda) Webber and Yvonne Lovell.  He is also survived by nieces, Maureen, Michelle, Angie, Debbie, Barbara, Deborah and Nephews, Calvin, Carl, Samuel (Rocky), Hughie, Adrian, James (Jimmy), Michael,

Gregory, Albert and Kevin.  Loving grandfather to Rashawn, Jermaine and Jasmine Haynes, Allen Brown, Kendra and Kelsey Burnham, Kevin Aimes and Quinton Brodie, father-in-law of Joanne Haynes, brother-in-law, Gladstone Hollingsworth, Cousin to Cecil Green, Barbara Pinder, Ann Arthur, Hazel and Timothy Cox and Hartley Griffith.  Godfather to Shaheen Williams; dear friend of Brenda Ifill, Glenville Gill, Roy Greaves, Patrick Garnes, and also survived by a host of other family members and friends.

We have lost Roy, a family giant. Thank you for the joy and wonderful memories you gave us.

We will forever love you. May you rest in peace and rise in glory.

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