Elizabeth Simpson Burke
American missionary
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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.
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 |
| Occupations | Anglican missionary and school administrator |
Early life and education
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
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
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]