Beloved educator dies. Her students want a Kennewick middle school renamed

People described longtime Park Middle School Vice Principal Wilma Robison Burgess as an energetic woman who remembered students even long after they graduated.

The 89-year-old died Monday after a seven-month cancer fight, but her memory was not forgotten by the hundreds of students who walked through her office.

A group gathered on Facebook to share memories and even asked the Kennewick School District to rename the 10th Avenue middle school after Burgess. Their comments recounted her big hair, big jewelry and her big heart.

“She had so much energy, so much caring and kindness toward other people,” longtime teacher Sandi Hanson said. “I don’t think we had a better leader.”

Burgess, who was one of 11 children, started her nearly 40-year career in 1951 in Okahoma.

Four years later, she started working at Kennewick where she spent most of the rest of her time as an educator. First, she was a third-grade teacher at Eastgate Elementary.

Then she moved to Park Middle School in 1967 and later spent 15 years there was the assistant principal before retiring in 1994.

“I never liked to do anything that wasn’t fun or a challenge,” she wrote in her philosophy of teaching. “I love teaching and thinking up individual ways of doing the same old thing in a million different ways.”

She worked with student leaders to develop activities that students wanted to participate in, like board game nights or having spots where students could trade playing cards.

“There were so many activities, so we could hit all of these kids,” she said.

Even decades after the students left Park Middle School, Burgess would recognize them and invite them to lunch, Hanson said.

About 200 of her former students have gathered on Facebook to remember their former teacher.

“She was firm but loving,” Trista McGuin Tompkins said. “Her beehive hairdo, flamboyant style and warm smile will never be forgotten. She genuinely cared about every student. I will never forget her.”

Along with having farmland in Pasco and owning storage units, she had strong ties to Burbank where she and her second husband ran a rental business that provided affordable housing.

She also loved playing pool.

Her two children, Wade Robison and Marjzon Lopez-Wade, still live in the area.

This story was originally published April 9, 2020 at 10:44 AM.