John William (Bill) Burdett died in Fall River on October 15, 2019.  He was 76.  Bill grew up in Homewood, Illinois, the youngest of four children.  He graduated from Homewood-Flossmoor High School in 1961, and received his Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Carnegie University in 1965.  He was a gifted graphic and floral artist, and he also modeled for TV and print ads for many years.  He spent most of his professional years in Manhattan before moving to and eventually retiring in Greenville, New York. 

Many people in Little Compton will remember Bill from his frequent visits at the Stone House Inn with his sister Jinny (Burdett) Moore and brother-in-law Tod Moore.  In recent years he lived in Fall River, and was lovingly involved in Westport Quaker Friends and Westport Art Group.  He was a proud and grateful member of Alcoholics Anonymous and died wearing his 23 year medallion. 

Bill had been living with cancer for several years and received miracle treatment at Dana-Farber that held his leukemia at bay and added productive and happy years to his life.  More recently other cancers appeared and progressed rapidly.  He was hospitalized October 9 after a bad fall at his apartment in Fall River, and chose to enter end-of-life hospice care rather than undertaking a fruitless battle against internal infection and his advancing cancers.  He spent his final few days surrounded by friends and family, and died peacefully in the early morning.

Bill requested that his remains be cremated.  A memorial gathering will be held during Bill’s favorite springtime month of May at the Westport Quaker Meeting House, and ample notice of the date will be provided.  He is survived by his sister Joan (Burdett) Cejner and his brother Bob Burdett, both of Illinois, by his niece Margaret (Moore) Tirpaeck of Little Compton, his nephew Jim Moore of Rehoboth, Mass., and many other nieces and nephews spread throughout America.