Annual "Phil Burr Senior Coffee" For MHS Senior Class of 2024
Organized by Medfield High School Guidance Counselor, Erik Ormberg, members of the MHS Class of 2024 gathered at St. Edward Church on Wednesday morning for the "5th Phil Burr Senior Coffee".
Mr. Phil Burr was a Class of 1947 Medfield High School graduate and lived in Medfield until his passing in 2020. He was a highly decorated Marine, serving in the Korean War, earning a Purple Heart and the Navy Cross securing him a place in the prestigious Legion of Valor.
(The Legion of Valor of the USA is the oldest Veteran Service Organization in the nation dating continuously from 1890. Its members are recipients of the nation’s two highest honors for valor in combat – the Congressional Medal of Honor and the individual armed services awards for extraordinary heroism in combat – the Navy Cross, the Army Distinguished Service Cross and the Air Force Cross.)
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Mrs. June Doucette-Burr attended the Coffee along with Wendy Burr, a relative of Phil's and a retired Medfield HS math teacher. Mrs. Burr brought along a few precious items to share with the young men, including photocopies of Burr's Citation from the Secretary of the Navy (when he was presented the Navy Cross) and each senior was offered a copy to take and read. Mrs. Burr proudly spoke to the seniors about Phil and his accomplishments, and his kindness toward others. She then asked each senior to make known their destination beyond Medfield High School.
Ormberg told the seniors about meeting Mr. Burr and the impact he had on him as a "person of influence" and as a man of service and honor. Ormberg started this annual Coffee, with Burr as a role model, as a way for members of the senior class to work toward exemplifying Mr. Burr.
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Due to the Covid-19 pandemic the Coffees in 2020 and 2021 were not held so the last Senior Coffee Mr. Burr was in attendance was in 2019. He greatly enjoyed talking with the students covering many topics of interest.
This relatively new tradition of gathering members of the senior class for a "Coffee" while honoring the legacy of Phil Burr is a wonderful way "connect the generations" and appreciate the history of people like Phil, who will always be remembered in Medfield.
