PORTSMOUTH – James Robert Burnell left this world on September 4th when he entered it 91 years ago: loved and surrounded by his family. He passed peacefully less than two miles from his grandparents’ home on King Street, where he was born on November 11, 1929 in what was then Norfolk County.
He had previously died from his parents, Katherine Hudson Burnell Rawls and James Washington Burnell; his son Jan Terry Burnell; his sister Gail Burnell Melchor; and his stepsister Julianne Rawls Cherry.
His memory is kept by his 31-year-old wife, Mary E. (Betty) Burnell; Son Rick E. Burnell (Tammy) of Virginia Beach; Brother Tom Burnell (Pam), of Chesapeake; Grandson Jay Burnell (Shell) and Rachel Hale (David) also from Virginia Beach; Lathan Riley (Sandra) from South Carolina; Katy Evans (Ryan) from Richmond; and Jan Michael Burnell from Norfolk. He also counts 10 great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandson among his survivors; two stepsons, Kevin and Jason Hirschfeld; a stepsister, Jeanne Rawls Silva; and numerous cousins, nieces and nephews. The list would not be complete without the two furbabies AndHe and Surely. (Ask Betty about these names if you would like to know.)
He lived a full and extended life, but always remained anchored in the traditions, faith and love of his community; a place that appeared big in his heart and in his critically acclaimed depictions of life along the Tidewater waterways that, like him, are honest and authentic.
Bob first attended Westhaven Baptist Church in Portsmouth when he was two weeks old. He stuck to it. He graduated from Wilson High School after attending Hargrave Military Academy and eventually majored in architecture at Georgia Tech. He worked in the family flooring business, in sales for tile and carpet manufacturers, and started an independent contracting company to support his goal of becoming a full-time artist.
He was a prolific and generous talent who created over 6,000 paintings in his life. As a generous man, he gave many of his works as gifts to friends and family or to residents of nursing homes, where he voluntarily shared his love for craft for decades. He led weeklong workshops and a weekly class (free) at Westhaven Baptist Church and taught at Tidewater Community College for more than 30 years.
Bob, who had a big smile and a quick wit, was an everyone-artist who painted the lived experience of working people and the landscapes they inhabited. His art adorns the walls of houses, hospitals, offices, banks, airports, hotels and the collections of the Chrysler Museum and the National Air & Space Museum.
He has received multiple Best in Show Awards and Lifetime Achievement Recognitions from the Portsmouth Museum and Fine Arts Commission and the Cultural Alliance of Hampton Roads Vianne Webb Award. He was a founding artist of the Boardwalk Art Show in Virginia Beach, the Seawall Art Show in Portsmouth, and the Nansemond Suffolk Academy Art Show, Suffolk.
He would be embarrassed if we made such a fuss about these accomplishments, but he has left us proud of his contributions and great footsteps. He was a man of great humor, strong faith, humility, and generosity. The Bible was his favorite book and he read it every day. He truly loved his family, and his family is grateful for that love and the time he has spent with them from childhood – his and hers.
His other passions included architecture and interior design, as well as sailing in Chesapeake Bay. He loved cruising up and down the bay and mooring and mooring in marinas, camera in hand, capturing scenes for his paintings. He enjoyed the race as well, winning several trophies in Southern Bay races with his wife as the first (and last) helmsman. He was a member of the Portsmouth Yacht Club, Portsmouth Boat Club, Hampton Yacht Club and represented the Portsmouth Boat Club in the Southern Bay Division of the Chesapeake’s Performance Handicap Racing Fleet.
Bob did not write this obituary; he was too modest. He always said he didn’t want to be famous, he wanted his pictures to be famous. His legacy will live on in the work he loved and in the lasting impact of his love on family and friends.
A memorial service is scheduled for Thursday, September 9th at 11 a.m. at Westhaven Baptist Church, 3900 Caroline Ave. in Portsmouth, chaired by Pastor Rick Hudock. The tour begins at 10 a.m. After the service there will be a reception, after which the family will hold a funeral service in the olive branch cemetery. Please donate instead of flowers to the above address to Westhaven Baptist Church. Expressions of condolences can be registered at BWFosterFuneralHome.com.
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