Sandra Burt, 76

CENTER BARNSTEAD — Sandra Esty Burt, 76, peacefully passed away on August 16, 2022, in the comfort of her beloved "Neva Dun Farm" home in Center Barnstead, with her husband Ken by her side. He remained with her 24/7 as caregiver for the last seven months and with the help of Bayada Hospice, their son Ezra, and his daughter Jaden Burt (who has lived with her grandparents prior to just starting freshman year at UNH). Together they celebrated their 55th wedding anniversary on June 12, 2022.

Sandy was a breast cancer survivor in 2005 and courageously battled brain cancer for the last 2 1/2 years. Born in Plymouth, and raised in Hebron, Sandy completed grades 1-8 in the village one-room schoolhouse, graduated Bristol High School and UNH with a BA in Arts. She and Ken met at UNH where he was a graduate student earning his M.S.E.E.

For their marriage on June 12, 1967, at her parents’ home, Sandy made her wedding dress and wrote the ceremony. Sandy and Ken moved to Cape Cod, Massachusetts, in 1967 where Ken worked as an electronics design engineer at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. She and Ken enjoyed the Cape beaches, owned a small farm, and started their family with the birth of their three sons.

In 1976, they moved to their existing Old Farm in Center Barnstead that Sandy named "Neva Dun Farm." Working together, they made many improvements, had large vegetable and flower gardens, milk goats, chickens, sheep, pigs, steer, cats, and dogs. Ken continued to work in engineering at UNH and Northern Telecom. In 1986 the Burts started Neva Dun Farm LLC, a family operated business for landscape services and growing and selling Christmas trees. Both were active members of the NH Landscape Association. Sandy became the 6th certified NH Landscape Professional, and she applied her many talents to the design, supervision, and construction of many landscape projects.

Very active in the Town of Barnstead, Sandy started the Barnstead School Volunteer Program and the Bear Facts school paper. She was chairman of the school board and as a real leader, added kindergarten, art and music and facilitated the purchase of the adjacent athletic fields.

Sandy was also a very talented oil and watercolor artist. She designed and painted theater sets for the Hampstead Players of North Barnstead, a traveling tour company that presented shows to over 1.5 million elementary school students across the USA.

As 36-year members of the Wolfeboro Corinthian Yacht Club, Sandy and Ken enjoyed a lot of time sailing their boat on Lake Winnipesaukee. Sandy was a much-loved social director at WCYC. Sailing was also enjoyed on their other sailboat in St. John, USVI, where they owned a cottage and spent many warm winters. They travelled in their RV and made many visits to National Parks and Monuments and crossed from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean two times.

Sandy loved to make her own pie crust for perfectly golden pies, prepare and cook meals for family gatherings and prepare Armenian recipes from her mother and grandmother. She was skilled at many arts and crafts and designed and built furniture. She grew and processed gallons of pickles and was lovingly known as the "Pickle Lady."

Sandy always had a big smile, a love of life, a welcoming spirit, always looked for the positive and did not let brain cancer slow her down.

A "Celebration of Life" took place on Saturday, September 10, 2022, at Neva Dun Farm with live music and catered and donated food and drinks. Over 150 people from many states attended to celebrate Sandy and her amazing life.

Her son Ezra designed and built the Burt Family Cemetery on their hill enclosed with old granite and markers, a handcrafted steel dragonfly engraved with Sandra, Kenneth and Karl that looks over the farm and pond.

Sandy and her son Karl were cremated and will be laid to rest together in the family cemetery.

Sandy is survived by her husband of 55 years, Ken, and her son Damon (Megan) Burt of Strafford, and son Ezra (Adrienne) Burt of Barnstead. She was predeceased by her youngest son, Karl K. Burt; her parents, Alan and Anne Esty of Hebron; and her father- and mother-in-law, Howard and Muriel Burt of North Haven, Connecticut. She had two sisters, two brothers-in-law, three sons, seven grandchildren, four nieces, one nephew, and many, many dear friends.

Please consider a donation in name of Sandra Esty Burt to Dartmouth Hitchcock Health that will go to the Neuro-Oncology Research Fund to help future people with brain tumors. Please make checks payable to Dartmouth Hitchcock Health and write in the memo Sandra Esty Burt #2 -23194 and send to Medical and Healthcare Advancement, Attention Gift Recording, Dartmouth Health, One Medical Center Drive (HB7070), Lebanon, NH 03756. Dartmouth Health is a non-profit and you will receive a receipt for taxes. The Burt family will not see your donation but will see your names.