Anna Sue Burchfield

Anna Sue Gamble Burchfield, 87, passed away on February 22, 2019.  Many family and friends knew her as "Tippy."  She was a lifelong resident of Chattanooga and Rossville.  She was predeceased by her mother, Vera Pruitt Gamble, father, William Franklin Gamble, brother, William T. Gamble of Kingsport, Tennessee, and sister, Sarah Elizabeth Smith of Chattanooga, her husband, Herbert H. Burchfield ("Bob"), and her son William H. Burchfield ("Jeff").

She was educated in the Chattanooga Public Schools, graduating from Chattanooga High School in 1949.  She received her B.S. in secondary education from Bob Jones University in 1953, and further education in elementary education from UTC and Berry College.  She began her teaching career at Park Place Junior High, where she met her beloved husband Bob, a fellow teacher, and at East Side Junior High, then taught for the last 29 years of her career at North Rossville Elementary in third grade.

She was a member of Second Presbyterian Church, the Chattanooga Gospel Tabernacle, and Simpson United Methodist Church, where she sang in the choir for many years.  She loved nature, especially wildflowers, birds and butterflies.  She tried to pass along that love to hundreds of third-grade children by raising butterflies from caterpillars and frogs from tadpoles in her classroom, and teaching identification of native plants and animals.

She is survived by her daughter, Melissa Burchfield; niece Lynda Mayfield (Michael), nephew, Johnny Hutcherson (Debi), niece Kathy Samilo (John), niece Charlotte Spear (Harry), nephew Alan Bliese Gamble (Rhoda), niece Susan Gamble Paradis (Ed), great-nieces Heather Shrum, Bethany Garabedian (Daniel); great nephews Jay Samilo, Brian Woody (Aymee), Lee Spear, Brian Spear, and Andy Spear.  Special thanks to James "Buddy" Blakemore, long-time neighbor and practically one of the family.

In lieu of flowers, donations to: the Salvation Army, 800 McCallie Ave., Chattanooga, TN 37403, Simpson United Methodist Church, 601 McFarland Rd., Rossville, GA 30741, or Reflection Riding Arboretum and Nature Center, 400 Garden Road, Chattanooga, TN 37419.

The family will receive friends, Tuesday from 5-8pm in the South Crest Chapel of Lane Funeral Home & Crematory located at the end of historic Missionary Ridge, Rossville.

Funeral services will be held Wednesday, February 27th, 2019 at 2pm in the South Crest Chapel with Doctor David Harr officiating.  Interment will be held in the Tennessee Georgia Memorial Park

Condolences may be sent to lane-southcrestchapel.com.