Dr. Jay S. Burton, husband, father, and primary care physician, along with cancer survivor and advocate, passed away at age 63 at home in Longmeadow, MA, surrounded by his family.
Dr. Burton was beloved by his family, friends, patients, and community. His impact within the western MA and CT communities and beyond will be part of his enduring legacy as both a community leader and medical practitioner.
He will be greatly missed by his wife of 34 years, Susan, along with his daughters Ally, Sam, and Jenny, and future son-in-law Larry Perchick, as well as Vivian, his mother, his brother David and wife Linda, and brother-in-law and sister-in-law Joe and Pat Abrams along with many extended family members and friends. He was also very much loved by those he held close who passed before him.
Dr. Burton was devoted to his primary care practice and patients for more than 30 years. When he was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia in 2010, and after undergoing a stem cell transplant, he advocated for change within primary care to better support cancer survivors like himself. In 2013, with the help of an incredibly hard-working and passionate group of volunteers, he launched a nonprofit called Survivor Journeys. Its mission is to provide support for cancer survivors and their loved ones. Survivor Journeys has continued to grow and thrive with programs dedicated to talk-based support groups, mentorship, and ongoing education. He was incredibly dedicated to his work, proud of everything the nonprofit has accomplished, and always talking about next steps to help even more people.
“He was a man of few words” is a phrase that never will be associated with Dr. Burton. He was the kind of person who would happily talk to anyone for as long as they (or his daughters) would let him, and he was the kind of doctor who was always running behind because of the in-depth care (and conversation) he provided. The patients in the waiting room were willing to wait, knowing he would give them his undivided attention.
Dr. Burton was a kind, compassionate and wonderful husband, father, and friend. His wife will especially miss his sense of style, his humor, and the shared sense of pride in their family and accomplishments. His daughters especially will miss his dad jokes (which didn’t always land, but led to a lot of laughter anyway), life advice, and unconditional willingness to express his love for and pride in them.
Beyond spending time with his family and his sense of purpose for his work, he had a short list of the simple things in life that made him happiest: trips to Hawaii, any salad with feta on it, catching up with friends, Marvel movies, and watching the Yankees or Jets win a game (the latter being a rare, but exciting, occurrence).
A celebration of Dr. Burton’s life will be held on Tuesday, March 29, beginning promptly at 9:30 a.m. at Forastiere Smith in East Longmeadow, as well as virtually. Please go to the Login Page https://www.oneroomstreaming.com/login and follow prompts: Email - anne@forastiere.com Password - 69D5CW.
A recording also will be available to view afterwards. Masks will be required for in-person attendees. The family requests no flowers; instead please donate in his memory to Survivor Journeys at https://survivorjourneys.org/donate-get-involved/donate.