Ina Louise Burt Kingdon

Ina Louise Burt Kingdon, age 102, died Saturday, May 14, 2011 in Winchester, Virginia.

Ina was born in 1909 in Douglasville, Georgia, the daughter of the late Adolphus Alonzo Burt and Sally Louise Smith. She spent her career in retailing management and sales, serving as an executive at H.P. Wasson & Co. in Indianapolis, IN, and at Sears, Roebuck & Co. in Miami, FL, Memphis, TN and Oak Park, IL. She was educated at the John Herron Art Institute in Indianapolis. She was active in the Zoo Guild, the Indianapolis Museum of Art and the Coastal Georgia Historical Society in St. Simons Island, GA, where she was Volunteer of the Year.

She was very involved in the St. Simons Island Presbyterian Church in Georgia, and was a member of the First Presbyterian Church in Winchester. On her 100th Birthday, Ina was given a “Shout Out” on the CBS Morning Show in recognition of her outstanding and pioneering career in retailing. She was quoted as attributing her long life to clean living, exercise, and an occasional “dirty martini.”

Ina was married to Henry Kingdon just six weeks shy of fifty years, until his death on May 19, 2006, and during their marriage, had lived in Indianapolis, IN, St. Simons Island, GA and Winchester, VA.

Surviving are two daughters, Marie E. Kingdon of Indianapolis, IN, and Margaret A. Kingdon and her partner, Martha C. Christian, of Gerrardstown, WV; a daughter-in-law, JoAnn R. Kingdon of Bethesda, MD; two nephews, Thomas Burt of TN, and James Burt of WY; four grandsons, James E. VandeBunte III of AK, William H. Bunte of Raleigh, NC, John S. Kingdon, Jr. of London, England, and James R. Kingdon of Charlottesville, VA; and five great-grandchildren, Max Henry Kingson and Margaux Josephine Kingdon of London, England, Jackson Hendrick Bunte and Helena May Bunte of Raleigh, NC, and John Richard Kingdon of Charlottesville, VA.

She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband, four brothers, Bernard, James, Adolphus and Newton Burt; two sisters, Nell Burt Hunt and Vivian Margerite Burt; a son, John S. Kingdon, Sr., and a granddaughter, Marion Milwee Kingdon.

A Memorial Service will be conducted on Tuesday, May 17, 2011 at (Time) at the Chapel at Westminster-Canterbury with Chaplain Elizabeth Lewis officiating. Interment will be in Indianapolis, IN.

In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Fellowship Fund or the Employee Assistance Fund or at Shenandoah Valley Westminster-Canterbury, 300 Westminster-Canterbury Dr., Winchester, VA 22603 or St. Simons Island Presbyterian Church, 205 Kings Way, St. Simons Island, GA 31522.

Please view obituaries and tribute wall at www.ompsfuneralhome.com.