Janet Ramsay Burd, a resident of Kennebunkport since 2017, died Tuesday morning, March 19, at Southern Maine Health Care in Biddeford. She was 69 years of age.
Born in Santa Monica, California, on Aug. 22, 1954, Janet was the beloved daughter of Dr. Beatty Ramsay and Edith (Anderson) Ramsay. She was raised in Pacific Palisades, in a loving family and a warm, close community of friends. After attending the Westlake School for Girls in Bel Air, she matriculated at Stanford University, from which she graduated in 1976 with an AB in psychology. In the following years, she earned a teaching credential from UCLA, a masters in counseling from Loyola Marymount University, and an MBA from the Anderson School at UCLA.
Janet taught elementary school in the Hawthorne, Calfornia, public school system. In her role, she taught classrooms of students who spoke over 20 languages. Janet’s patience and grace helped to guide these children to learning that equipped them to thrive. Following graduation from UCLA, she took a position as a corporate banker with First Interstate Bank in Los Angeles.
In 1978, she met her husband-to-be, Michael, during a Sunday morning service at St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church in Redondo Beach, California. They were married on Sept. 13, 1980. Five years later, while expecting their first child, Sarah, Janet and Michael moved across the country to Darien, Connecticut. There, she became very active at Noroton Presbyterian Church, where she was a pillar of women’s ministries. She continued to pour her patient care into the lives of those around her even as she devoted herself to the role of wife and mother. In the years after Sarah’s arrival in 1985, Janet and Michael welcomed three more children: Andrew, in 1987, Peter, in 1989 and Katherine, in 1992.
Shortly after Katherine’s arrival, the family moved to Concord, Massachusetts, where their children grew and thrived. Janet fostered a beautiful, safe home where her family grew in love for one another. She threw herself into local organizations and ministries, offering her quiet leadership and care to those around her. Specifically, Janet was passionate about her work with Young Life and was heavily involved with women’s ministry at their longtime church, Grace Chapel, in Lexington.
As her children grew, they each left home to attend boarding schools in different states; Janet, an ever-loyal mother and sports fan, traveled often to support her kids in their various athletic and other endeavors. Beginning in 2009, the Burds moved for his work to Wheaton, Illinois, and Haverford, Pennsylvania. In each new place, Janet resumed her loyal church involvement and her role as wise and generous leader, hosting friends and strangers in her home and welcoming visitors, especially women in the community, unconditionally. She was a master chef and took great joy in cooking for family and friends. She was also a talented flower arranger, who relished the beauty of flowers and gardens.
In 2015, Janet and Michael purchased a second home in Kennebunkport, where they had often vacationed with their children. Following Michael’s retirement in 2017, they decided to move there full-time and began to renovate and expand the house, a project managed by Janet. As she had across the decades, Janet threw herself into her church community and the town. At Sea Road Church, she was named deacon and led Bible studies for women across all walks of life, mentoring them, as she always had, with wisdom and grace. She volunteered at the Kennebunkport Historical Society and built a warm circle of friends among her colleagues.
Janet is survived by her husband, Michael, their four children, Sarah Henry (Cameron) of Wellesley Massachusetts, Andrew Burd of New York City, Peter Burd (Taylor) of Denver and Katherine Burd of New York City. She leaves two grandchildren, whom she adored: John Davis Burd (aged 10 months) and Ramsay Grace Henry (aged two months). She is also survived by her beloved brother, Dr. Chip Ramsay, his wife Vinette and their three children and three grandchildren.
A Celebration of Life will take place on Saturday, March 30, at 1 p.m. at Sea Road Christian Church, 140 Sea Road in Kennebunk. In lieu of flowers, the family encourages gifts to Sea Road Church in Janet’s honor.
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