Elizabeth Simpson Burke
Elizabeth Simpson Burke | |
|---|---|
 Sister Joan Margaret, from a 1957 publication of the President's Committee on Employment of the Physically Handicapped | |
| Born | August 22, 1906 Merrimac, Massachusetts |
| Died | December 16, 2005 (age 99) Brookline, Massachusetts |
| Other names | Sister Joan Margaret |
| Occupation(s) | Anglican missionary and school administrator |
Elizabeth Simpson Burke (August 22, 1906 – December 16, 2005),[1] usually known as Sister Joan Margaret, was a member of the Anglican Society of Saint Margaret and a missionary in Haiti. She founded Saint Vincent Centre for Disabled Children in Port-au-Prince in the 1940s, and was the school's principal for decades.
Early life and education
[edit]Elizabeth Burke was born in Merrimac, Massachusetts, the daughter of David W. Gardner and Adeline B. Hemmenway.[2] She was raised Newburyport, Massachusetts by her adoptive parents, Robert Burke and Mabel Wood Simpson Burke. Robert Burke was an attorney, and mayor of Newburyport when Elizabeth was young.[3] She trained as a physical therapist. She joined the Anglican religious order, the Society of Saint Margaret, in 1937.[4][5][6]
Career
[edit]Sister Joan Margaret did parish work in Utica, New York and at a mission in Bracebridge, Ontario. She arrived in Haiti in 1944 as a parish visitor, and opened a day nursery. Her work developed into the St. Vincent's School for Handicapped Children in the capital city, opened in 1945[7] and licensed in 1950.[5] The school included dormitories, medical and dental clinics, and an orthopedics shop.[8] She especially encouraged musical training, and led the school's orchestra and handbell choir on international tours. One of her students was violinist Romel Joseph.[4]
Sister Joan Margaret accompanied students to the United States for medical treatment when needed.[9] She toured in the United States, especially in Florida, speaking about her work at Episcopal Church events, to raise funds and awareness.[10] "It's a life to live, not a work to be done," she explained of her vocation.[11] In 1980, she and Harold Russell were honored by the Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation, for their work on behalf of disabled people.[9]
Personal life and legacy
[edit]Sister Joan Margaret had arthritis that required the use of crutches by the late 1970s,[12] and she used a wheelchair by the mid-1980s.[8] She retired from Haiti in 2003; she died in Brookline, Massachusetts in 2005, at the age of 99.[4] Her school, now known as St. Vincent's Center for Children with Disabilities in Haiti, remains in operation,[1] but at a new, more accessible site[13] after the former buildings were destroyed, and several students died, in the 2010 Haiti earthquake.[3][14]
References
[edit]- ^ a b "St. Vincent's Center For Children With Disabilities in Haiti". St. Vincent’s Center For Children With Disabilities in Haiti: Leadership. Retrieved 2023-05-01.
- ^ U.S. Social Security Applications and Claims Index, via Ancestry.
- ^ a b "Haiti quake brought death to school founded by a local nun". The Daily News of Newburyport. March 11, 2010. Retrieved 2023-05-01.
- ^ a b c Negri, Gloria (January 4, 2006). "Sister Joan Margaret, a savior to Haiti's disabled". The Boston Globe. Retrieved 2023-05-01.
- ^ a b "The Soap Box tree". Performance: The Story of the Handicapped. 8 (6): 8–10. December 1957.
- ^ "History of the Society of St. Margaret". Society of St. Margaret. Retrieved 2023-05-01.
- ^ "Healing in Haiti (press release)". Diocesan Press Service. September 1, 1962. Retrieved 2023-05-01.
- ^ a b McNiff, Susie. "Change Of Course In Haiti". The Episcopal New Yorker. Retrieved 2023-05-01.
- ^ a b "Kessler Institute Will Honor 2". The Herald-News. 1980-05-30. p. 8. Retrieved 2023-05-01 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Episcopal Group Hears of Work With Handicapped". The Evening Tribune. 1956-11-02. p. 5. Retrieved 2023-05-01 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Noted Nun Credits Works to Corporate Prayer Life". The Miami Herald. 1956-10-27. p. 22. Retrieved 2023-05-01 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Naunton, Ena (1974-11-22). "She Makes Sun Rise for Kids". The Miami Herald. p. 192. Retrieved 2023-05-01 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "New Site, New Life for St. Vincent's Center in Haiti". Episcopal Church Foundation (ECF). May 2, 2018. Retrieved 2023-05-01.
- ^ Campbell, Kay (2010-10-22). "All heart: Armless Haitian artists serve neighbors". al. Retrieved 2023-05-01.
External links
[edit]- A news photo of Sister Joan Margaret in the 1940s, by Margaret Craig, from the Ann Arbor News and the Ann Arbor District Library