Tiny Burgess (Gaddy), age 81 of Moorestown, passed away on August 11. She was born in Winston Salem, N.C., the fifth of nine children of James and Sally Gaddy. She attended boarding school at the Immanuel Lutheran College in Greensboro, N.C. In 1957, she received a Bachelor’s of Science degree in biology from Bennett College in Greensboro, where she also played basketball.
In 1959, she was married to Thomas Burgess in South Carolina, and they have two daughters.
Tiny began her career teaching in the Hoke County, N.C. and High Point, N.C. schools. She then worked at Bowman Gray School of Medicine, now Wake Forest, as a researcher. She went on to teach biology at Hillside High School in Durham, N.C.
In 1970, Tiny and her family moved to New Jersey, where she taught biology at Dwight Morrow High School in Englewood. She retired from Dwight Morrow in 1996. Over the years she was an active member of the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, the National Association of Negro Business and Professional Women and Jack and Jill of America, Inc. Through these organizations Tiny dedicated herself to serving the community, particularly to mentor and empower the youth.
Tiny adored her grandchildren and she attended and cheered at all of their athletic games, recitals, concerts and banquets. She loved her church, Fellowship Alliance Chapel in Medford, where she was active in the senior group, SAGE Builders. She also was an avid sports fan, she loved playing bingo and going out to restaurants with friends.
Her husband, Steve of Moorestown, daughter, Tamara Burgess Johns, and daughter, Tonya Burgess of Mooresville, N.C, survives her. Her grandchildren, Taylor and Steven Johns, and numerous nieces, nephews, cousins and friends also survive her.
A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. on Saturday, September 17 at Fellowship Alliance Chapel located at 199 Church Rd. in Medford. Memorial contributions may be made to Deborah Hospital Foundation, 212 Trenton Rd., Browns Mills, NJ 08018 or online at deborahfoundation.org/donate.
