William "Bill" Burton

William “Bill” C. Burton was born on August 7, 1936, in Madison, Maine.  Bill graduated from Skowhegan, Maine High School in 1954.  During his schooling, he played on two State Championship football teams. Upon graduation, Bill served in the US Navy.  In 1961 he married Sandra “Sandy” Steward.

After graduating from the University of Maine in 1962, Bill started his education career teaching chemistry in Connecticut and Maine before moving to teach at Springfield, VT high school.  During his time in Springfield, he taught Chemistry, Physics, and coached freshman football.  Bill also got his master’s degree from the University of Notre Dame in 1968 and taught chemistry at the University of Vermont and environmental science at Castleton State College. 

Bill was a member of the Vermont Football Officials Association. During this time he officiated numerous Pee Wee football games at Hadley Field.  In 1971 he was selected to be the science coordinator at the new Bellows Falls Union High School – a unique concept in education, a school with no walls. 

During Bill’s time at BFUHS, he worked as a track official at Hadley Field (local, State, as well as New England, meets); was the coach of the BFUHS Nordic Ski team for 13 years; served as the director for female State Ski Meet that was held on the BFUHS Campus; served as the director of a male State Ski Meet that was held at Tater Hill Country Club; was one of the coaching staff for the Vermont State Ski Team at the Eastern High School Championship at Lake Placid, New York; and while coaching the high school team, Bill started a youth ski team that participated in the Bill Koch Ski League.  Some of the youngsters qualified to ski on the Olympic Trails at Lake Placid in the Eastern Championships.

One female skier, who was on the Bill Koch ski, graduated from the high school team and eventually became the Vermont State Champion.  Back then there were no divisions for skiing. All schools competed in the same meets.  Bill also played an instrumental role in creating the cross-country trails all around the high school that students/staff and the public still use today. 

Bill and Sandy have three children (Barbara, Karen, and Michael) who all attended and graduated from BFUHS.

Bill retired from BFUHS in 1996 and due to his hard work and dedication to the science department he received the BFUHS Teacher of the Year award in 1979.

Bill was and is still an avid fan of Bellows Falls watching his two grandchildren participate in all kinds of activities throughout the years - from field hockey to softball to track and cross country to chorus and band.  “Pop” as his grandkids call him, is a big reason his family is so connected to the Bellows Falls community and truly taught his family to embrace the community you live in, be active, and give back.