Marie Allen Burcher passed away with family by her side at her home on Temple Farm overlooking the York River in Yorktown, Va., on November 24, 2014. She was 93.
“Birdie” as friends and family called her, was born on March 6 , 1921 in Bland County, Va. at the Bird Family Home to Miller Shannon “Yock” Allen (1943) and Katherine “Ethel” Bird Allen (1986). She grew up on the Allen Farm in Bland County, located in the scenic Walker Creek Valley. Marie and her brother Shannon often road horses to neighbors and outings at Mountain Lake. Birdie attended White Gate High School/Poplar Hill and then to Longwood College, where she received a degree in mathematics and history in 1941.
After graduation, she worked as a mathematics teacher in Norfolk, Virginia. When a friend told her about opportunities at Langley in Hampton, she applied and was hired immediately in 1942. The Langley Research Center, run by the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautic ( NACA, predecessor of NASA), employed Birdie to work in the computer section for research in the wind tunnels.
Birdie worked first at the 8 foot High Speed Tunnel, and later was promoted to Head Computer at the 16 foot Tunnel. It was a total team effort with the engineers, computers, and other tunnel employees. They worked both day and evening shifts to keep up with the research demands. As a Head Computer, she was in charge of assigning projects and had a very capable group of women in her computing section. They also published a book of their calculations. Birdie remained at Langley until 1949.
Upon moving to Hampton, Birdie moved into the A Y Burcher’s boarding house, Innesvail, on Chesapeake Boulevard. She shared her rooms with the Cock twins of Hampton, Anne and Jackie, who were friends from Longwood College. At Innesvail, Birdie was introduced to Jack Burcher at lunch one Sunday, upon his return from the War in the Pacific. They courted and were married in St John’s Church, October 5, 1947. They first resided in the Wythe section of Hampton and then later on Shenandoah Road.
The family spent the summers in Yorktown at the family cottage on Temple Farm. Birdie learned to be an avid fishing partner with Jack, and also had her own recipes for Chesapeake rockfish and crabmeat which was always accompanied with Virginia spoon bread. She was active in the community, Girl Scouts, and the Hampton Garden Club. She was a skilled bridge player and not only played with the ladies but always enjoyed Saturday nights out having dinner with other couples and then a few hands of Bridge.
In 1971 Birdie and Jack built a home at the site of the family cottage on Temple Farm. She pursued a second career as an historical interpreter at Colonial Williamsburg. She enjoyed Virginia history and the associated antique collections of the homes at Colonial Williamsburg. Her favorite home was Carters Grove on the James River. She retired from CW but always returned with the family to Williamsburg for Holidays and lunch on the terrace at the Golf Club after a walk down the Duke of Gloucester Street. She was active in Grace Episcopal Church and served on the Alter Guild while living in Yorktown.
Marie Allen Burcher was preceded in death by her husband of 66 years, John Henry Burcher Jr on February 1, 2014; and her brother, Dr. Miller Shannon Allen, of Charlottesville, Va. in 2000. She is survived by . . . . A Graveside Service and joint interment of the remains of John Henry Burcher and Marie Allen Burcher will take place at 2 p.m. on Friday, December 5, 2014, at Grace Episcopal Church Cemetery, 111 Church Street, Yorktown, Virginia. The Rev. Carlton Bakkum will officiate. A brief reception will follow at the church social hall.
The family asks in lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to The Waterman’s Museum, 309 Water St., Yorktown, VA 23690, and the Grace Episcopal Church Alter Guild. The family would like a special thank you given to all the wonderful caregivers.
Online condolences to claytorrollins.com. Claytor Rollins Funeral Home, Poquoson, is in charge of arrangements.
“Birdie” as friends and family called her, was born on March 6 , 1921 in Bland County, Va. at the Bird Family Home to Miller Shannon “Yock” Allen (1943) and Katherine “Ethel” Bird Allen (1986). She grew up on the Allen Farm in Bland County, located in the scenic Walker Creek Valley. Marie and her brother Shannon often road horses to neighbors and outings at Mountain Lake. Birdie attended White Gate High School/Poplar Hill and then to Longwood College, where she received a degree in mathematics and history in 1941.
After graduation, she worked as a mathematics teacher in Norfolk, Virginia. When a friend told her about opportunities at Langley in Hampton, she applied and was hired immediately in 1942. The Langley Research Center, run by the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautic ( NACA, predecessor of NASA), employed Birdie to work in the computer section for research in the wind tunnels.
Birdie worked first at the 8 foot High Speed Tunnel, and later was promoted to Head Computer at the 16 foot Tunnel. It was a total team effort with the engineers, computers, and other tunnel employees. They worked both day and evening shifts to keep up with the research demands. As a Head Computer, she was in charge of assigning projects and had a very capable group of women in her computing section. They also published a book of their calculations. Birdie remained at Langley until 1949.
Upon moving to Hampton, Birdie moved into the A Y Burcher’s boarding house, Innesvail, on Chesapeake Boulevard. She shared her rooms with the Cock twins of Hampton, Anne and Jackie, who were friends from Longwood College. At Innesvail, Birdie was introduced to Jack Burcher at lunch one Sunday, upon his return from the War in the Pacific. They courted and were married in St John’s Church, October 5, 1947. They first resided in the Wythe section of Hampton and then later on Shenandoah Road.
The family spent the summers in Yorktown at the family cottage on Temple Farm. Birdie learned to be an avid fishing partner with Jack, and also had her own recipes for Chesapeake rockfish and crabmeat which was always accompanied with Virginia spoon bread. She was active in the community, Girl Scouts, and the Hampton Garden Club. She was a skilled bridge player and not only played with the ladies but always enjoyed Saturday nights out having dinner with other couples and then a few hands of Bridge.
In 1971 Birdie and Jack built a home at the site of the family cottage on Temple Farm. She pursued a second career as an historical interpreter at Colonial Williamsburg. She enjoyed Virginia history and the associated antique collections of the homes at Colonial Williamsburg. Her favorite home was Carters Grove on the James River. She retired from CW but always returned with the family to Williamsburg for Holidays and lunch on the terrace at the Golf Club after a walk down the Duke of Gloucester Street. She was active in Grace Episcopal Church and served on the Alter Guild while living in Yorktown.
Marie Allen Burcher was preceded in death by her husband of 66 years, John Henry Burcher Jr on February 1, 2014; and her brother, Dr. Miller Shannon Allen, of Charlottesville, Va. in 2000. She is survived by . . . . A Graveside Service and joint interment of the remains of John Henry Burcher and Marie Allen Burcher will take place at 2 p.m. on Friday, December 5, 2014, at Grace Episcopal Church Cemetery, 111 Church Street, Yorktown, Virginia. The Rev. Carlton Bakkum will officiate. A brief reception will follow at the church social hall.
The family asks in lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to The Waterman’s Museum, 309 Water St., Yorktown, VA 23690, and the Grace Episcopal Church Alter Guild. The family would like a special thank you given to all the wonderful caregivers.
Online condolences to claytorrollins.com. Claytor Rollins Funeral Home, Poquoson, is in charge of arrangements.
Marie Allen Burcher passed away with family by her side at her home on Temple Farm overlooking the York River in Yorktown, Va., on November 24, 2014. She was 93.
“Birdie” as friends and family called her, was born on March 6 , 1921 in Bland County, Va. at the Bird Family Home to Miller Shannon “Yock” Allen (1943) and Katherine “Ethel” Bird Allen (1986). She grew up on the Allen Farm in Bland County, located in the scenic Walker Creek Valley. Marie and her brother Shannon often road horses to neighbors and outings at Mountain Lake. Birdie attended White Gate High School/Poplar Hill and then to Longwood College, where she received a degree in mathematics and history in 1941.
After graduation, she worked as a mathematics teacher in Norfolk, Virginia. When a friend told her about opportunities at Langley in Hampton, she applied and was hired immediately in 1942. The Langley Research Center, run by the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautic ( NACA, predecessor of NASA), employed Birdie to work in the computer section for research in the wind tunnels.
Birdie worked first at the 8 foot High Speed Tunnel, and later was promoted to Head Computer at the 16 foot Tunnel. It was a total team effort with the engineers, computers, and other tunnel employees. They worked both day and evening shifts to keep up with the research demands. As a Head Computer, she was in charge of assigning projects and had a very capable group of women in her computing section. They also published a book of their calculations. Birdie remained at Langley until 1949.
Upon moving to Hampton, Birdie moved into the A Y Burcher’s boarding house, Innesvail, on Chesapeake Boulevard. She shared her rooms with the Cock twins of Hampton, Anne and Jackie, who were friends from Longwood College. At Innesvail, Birdie was introduced to Jack Burcher at lunch one Sunday, upon his return from the War in the Pacific. They courted and were married in St John’s Church, October 5, 1947. They first resided in the Wythe section of Hampton and then later on Shenandoah Road.
The family spent the summers in Yorktown at the family cottage on Temple Farm. Birdie learned to be an avid fishing partner with Jack, and also had her own recipes for Chesapeake rockfish and crabmeat which was always accompanied with Virginia spoon bread. She was active in the community, Girl Scouts, and the Hampton Garden Club. She was a skilled bridge player and not only played with the ladies but always enjoyed Saturday nights out having dinner with other couples and then a few hands of Bridge.
In 1971 Birdie and Jack built a home at the site of the family cottage on Temple Farm. She pursued a second career as an historical interpreter at Colonial Williamsburg. She enjoyed Virginia history and the associated antique collections of the homes at Colonial Williamsburg. Her favorite home was Carters Grove on the James River. She retired from CW but always returned with the family to Williamsburg for Holidays and lunch on the terrace at the Golf Club after a walk down the Duke of Gloucester Street. She was active in Grace Episcopal Church and served on the Alter Guild while living in Yorktown.
Marie Allen Burcher was preceded in death by her husband of 66 years, John Henry Burcher Jr on February 1, 2014; and her brother, Dr. Miller Shannon Allen, of Charlottesville, Va. in 2000. She is survived by . . . . A Graveside Service and joint interment of the remains of John Henry Burcher and Marie Allen Burcher will take place at 2 p.m. on Friday, December 5, 2014, at Grace Episcopal Church Cemetery, 111 Church Street, Yorktown, Virginia. The Rev. Carlton Bakkum will officiate. A brief reception will follow at the church social hall.
The family asks in lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to The Waterman’s Museum, 309 Water St., Yorktown, VA 23690, and the Grace Episcopal Church Alter Guild. The family would like a special thank you given to all the wonderful caregivers.
Online condolences to claytorrollins.com. Claytor Rollins Funeral Home, Poquoson, is in charge of arrangements.
“Birdie” as friends and family called her, was born on March 6 , 1921 in Bland County, Va. at the Bird Family Home to Miller Shannon “Yock” Allen (1943) and Katherine “Ethel” Bird Allen (1986). She grew up on the Allen Farm in Bland County, located in the scenic Walker Creek Valley. Marie and her brother Shannon often road horses to neighbors and outings at Mountain Lake. Birdie attended White Gate High School/Poplar Hill and then to Longwood College, where she received a degree in mathematics and history in 1941.
After graduation, she worked as a mathematics teacher in Norfolk, Virginia. When a friend told her about opportunities at Langley in Hampton, she applied and was hired immediately in 1942. The Langley Research Center, run by the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautic ( NACA, predecessor of NASA), employed Birdie to work in the computer section for research in the wind tunnels.
Birdie worked first at the 8 foot High Speed Tunnel, and later was promoted to Head Computer at the 16 foot Tunnel. It was a total team effort with the engineers, computers, and other tunnel employees. They worked both day and evening shifts to keep up with the research demands. As a Head Computer, she was in charge of assigning projects and had a very capable group of women in her computing section. They also published a book of their calculations. Birdie remained at Langley until 1949.
Upon moving to Hampton, Birdie moved into the A Y Burcher’s boarding house, Innesvail, on Chesapeake Boulevard. She shared her rooms with the Cock twins of Hampton, Anne and Jackie, who were friends from Longwood College. At Innesvail, Birdie was introduced to Jack Burcher at lunch one Sunday, upon his return from the War in the Pacific. They courted and were married in St John’s Church, October 5, 1947. They first resided in the Wythe section of Hampton and then later on Shenandoah Road.
The family spent the summers in Yorktown at the family cottage on Temple Farm. Birdie learned to be an avid fishing partner with Jack, and also had her own recipes for Chesapeake rockfish and crabmeat which was always accompanied with Virginia spoon bread. She was active in the community, Girl Scouts, and the Hampton Garden Club. She was a skilled bridge player and not only played with the ladies but always enjoyed Saturday nights out having dinner with other couples and then a few hands of Bridge.
In 1971 Birdie and Jack built a home at the site of the family cottage on Temple Farm. She pursued a second career as an historical interpreter at Colonial Williamsburg. She enjoyed Virginia history and the associated antique collections of the homes at Colonial Williamsburg. Her favorite home was Carters Grove on the James River. She retired from CW but always returned with the family to Williamsburg for Holidays and lunch on the terrace at the Golf Club after a walk down the Duke of Gloucester Street. She was active in Grace Episcopal Church and served on the Alter Guild while living in Yorktown.
Marie Allen Burcher was preceded in death by her husband of 66 years, John Henry Burcher Jr on February 1, 2014; and her brother, Dr. Miller Shannon Allen, of Charlottesville, Va. in 2000. She is survived by . . . . A Graveside Service and joint interment of the remains of John Henry Burcher and Marie Allen Burcher will take place at 2 p.m. on Friday, December 5, 2014, at Grace Episcopal Church Cemetery, 111 Church Street, Yorktown, Virginia. The Rev. Carlton Bakkum will officiate. A brief reception will follow at the church social hall.
The family asks in lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to The Waterman’s Museum, 309 Water St., Yorktown, VA 23690, and the Grace Episcopal Church Alter Guild. The family would like a special thank you given to all the wonderful caregivers.
Online condolences to claytorrollins.com. Claytor Rollins Funeral Home, Poquoson, is in charge of arrangements.
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