Ken Burton Sr. is a name that means a lot of things to a lot of people in Manatee County. To the community, he’s a businessman, a civic leader, and someone who helped build Palmetto back when things were a lot simpler but required plenty of hard work. To me, he’s Grandpa. Having the chance to write this for the North River News is a special kind of full-circle moment for our family. Back in the 1980s, my grandfather actually ran this newspaper. Now, as he faces a tough battle with cancer, I want to use these same pages to make sure he gets the spotlight he deserves while he is still here to see it. Too often, the people who helped build our towns don’t get celebrated until they are gone, and I don’t want that to be the case for him.
I often wish I knew more about what he was like growing up. He comes from a time way before digital footprints, and his childhood was definitely much different than mine. But even without a timeline of his youth, his legacy is written all over our county. To understand his impact, you simply have to look at the history of this area. He served as both Mayor of Palmetto and a County Commissioner. He played a massive role in building Port Manatee and expanding Manatee Memorial Hospital. In 2013, he received the Distinguished Citizen Award, proving what an overachiever he has always been. He has laid out incredibly large shoes for the rest of us to fill. Although, if you look at his actual footprints pressed into the cement at the courthouse, I do have to point out that his feet are technically smaller than mine.
He hasn’t just helped build the county’s future, he is passionate about protecting its past. When Palmetto’s Yellow Fever Cemetery was almost lost to time, he got to work. He teamed up with university students to identify dozens of unmarked graves so those people wouldn’t be forgotten. I’ve always loved what he said about the project at the time: “This is history that hasn’t been told, and I’m wanting to tell it.”
His passion for the community extended to the next generation, too. He was awarded the Golden Tiger Award for his work with Palmetto High School, landing him in their Hall of Fame. On a personal level, he always supported my own projects, notably TigerVision, the broadcast behind the Palmetto Tigers Athletics. He is always good for a donation, and I know he is thankful to be able to watch his Tigers from the comfort of home. In all honesty, I almost didn’t broadcast our last football game. But my mother reminded me that Grandpa would be watching. I bit my tongue and made sure we put on an Emmy-worthy show.
It is crazy to think about, though. Even if I won an actual Emmy and put Palmetto on the map, it would barely hold a candle to what my grandfather continues to do for this community.
But for all his massive, public achievements, the small things stand out just as much. When I visited him at the hospital recently, I kept running into people in the elevator who were on their way to see “The Candy Man.” It turns out, that’s Grandpa.
He’s known for handing out mints at church, and clearly, that reputation followed him. It didn’t surprise me at all. When I was little, he would always bring me a two-dollar bill to put in my savings. I still have no idea how he manages to collect so many of them since they are pretty rare even today, but that is just who he is.
His impact is easiest to see in the way people talk about him. Whenever I introduce myself to long-time Manatee County residents, I almost always get a story in return. People love to tell me what a fun guy my grandfather is to be around. Tom Porter from the Sheriff’s Office used to always share great memories of working with him. I welcome those stories, and I hope people keep telling them.
Family has always been at the center of his life. My grandmother, Marlene, was a huge part of our world. When we lost her to cancer, we were devastated. None of us really knew what Grandpa was going to do without the love of his life. But he poured that grief into something lasting, helping to get the Marlene Burton Trail named after her at Emerson Point Preserve. It’s a beautiful place right in the heart of the area they loved.
We didn’t know what the future held for him after that, but lightning really did strike twice when he found Judy Walker. They got married in 2008, and Judy and her family quickly stepped in with open arms, taking incredible care of him. Over the last eighteen years, they’ve been happily married, and especially now, as he faces his current health battles, her steadfast care means everything to our family.
His legacy continues through his kids, Ken Jr., Jeff, and Christi Tillis, and all of us grandchildren (and even further through his great-grandchildren). Honestly, I might never step fully out of his shadow, but I don’t want to. I am incredibly proud to be a Ken Burton. There are actually four of us officially named Charles, but none of us will turn our heads when someone calls us that. We have two Kens, a Chad, and a Charlie. If you are calling for Charles, it’s either bad news or a spam call. But I wouldn’t trade it for anything. I even named my own son Charles (Charlie) Kenneth Burton IV so that the name, and the legacy attached to it, keeps going.
Grandpa, thank you for everything. You helped build this place, and you built a family that loves you. We are all so proud of you.
