Cathy O. Burton

Cathy Ok Burton was born on July 13, 1961, in Seoul, Korea. As a baby, she was adopted by her loving father, George T. Denham, while he was stationed in Korea. She shareda very special bond with him, enjoying activities like cooking and fishing together. On one occasion, while fishing in the ocean, Cathy caught an octopus. She loved his salmon croquettes and always tried to recreate the recipe after his passing in 2020.

Growing up, Cathy lived in many cities and traveled all over the world. She spent time in Effingham, IL, and St. Louis, MO. In grade school, Cathy excelled academically. Her report cards often featured comments like, “Cathy continues to have a marvelous attitudetoward her schoolwork. She is extremely attentive and enthusiastic. However, the same problem still plagues her: letting her classmates and teacher work and think for themselves,”and “Cathy does well scholastically, but she can be extremely bossy and tends to butt into other people's business. Since Cathy can't seem to master this, perhaps if she could learn to talk softer, her bossiness would not be so noticeable.”

This was Cathy until her final days. She loved talking, was very sociable, and never met a stranger. She was always willing to help others, sometimes to a fault. This made Cathy who she was—the most loving, nurturing, giving, kind, selfless, smart, and wise person... andoccasionally, a little bossy.

By high school, Cathy had moved back to Korea. She attended Taegu American High School in Korea and graduated in 1979. She also took college credit at Florissant Valley Community College and Sandford-Brown. Her career included several government jobs in the Human Resources space, but she also worked at places like restaurants and gas stations. Cathy even owned a video store and balloon business for a short time. She loved roles whereshe could help others and express her creativity. 

Cathy took a 15-year break during her career to stay at home and raise her children. She made sure they excelled in their studies and took their education very seriously. Cathy returned to work and retired in March 2024, after a total of 26 years and 11 months of federalservice. When she retired, her workplace created four roles just to fill her shoes. She loved her job and made lasting friendships with her coworkers. It meant the world to her that theydonated so much time to allow her to take care of herself when she became ill.

Cathy met the love of her life, Terry A. Burton, in 1980, and they were married on April 24, 1987. They shared many great years together, balancing one another perfectly—Terry being very introverted and Cathy very extroverted. They enjoyed spending time together,whether fishing in the early mornings, watching television shows, or taking family trips to the Lake of the Ozarks, Hawaii, and Florida. Family was always their focus. Aside from their honeymoon, they only took two vacations alone—one to Puerto Rico in 2018 and another to Canada in October 2024. When Cathy fell ill, Terry cared for her with endless love and affection, staying by her side until her final breath.

Cathy leaves behind three beautiful daughters: Allison (Steven Sr.) Dyson, Teri (Ifeanyi) Chukwuka, and Christina (Tony) Thompson. As a mother, she excelled in every way. She instilled so much into her girls, always being there for them and taking immense pride in their accomplishments. Each of her daughters shared a special bond with her, and she had a unique, loving relationship with each of them. For her sons-in-law, Cathy truly consideredthem the sons she never had. She leaves behind seven grandchildren and one great-grandchild: Kayla Thomas, Victoria Dyson, Steven Dyson II, Savannah Dyson, Bailee Chukwuka, Vannessa Dyson, Ajani Thompson, and Oakley Cathryn Thompson, who isexpected to be born next week. Oakley’s name was chosen in honor of her beloved Grammy.

To Allison’s children, she was“Granny.” To Teri’s child, she was “Nani.” And to Christina’s children, she was “Grammy.” She was such a wonderful grandmother thatshe couldn’t be confined to just one name – each grandchild knew her in their own special way. She made sure to spend individual time with each of them, always spoiling them with love and affection.

Beyond her immediate family, she leaves behind a network of lovingrelatives, including sisters-in-law, brothers-in-law, and nephews, as well as neighborhood kids, friends, colleagues, and church family. She was a motherly figure to so many, touching their lives with warmth and kindness.She was the most beautiful person, inside and out. Her smile could light up a room, and her hugs were a source of comfort and warmth to everyone she met.

Cathy would want to be remembered for her love of family. She adored herfamily and expressed that love in countless ways: by being present in their lives, supporting them, having countless conversations, taking them on trips, and cooking family dinners. 

Her love for family extended to the children in her neighborhood. Cathy was a mom to all of them. She played with them outside, took them on outings, and always had her door open to them.

Cathy loved cooking. She often made way too much food—not only becauseshe wanted everyone to have plenty, but also because she wanted to ensure there was enough in case someone stopped by. Her door was always open. She could create a delicious dish from minimal ingredients. She also enjoyed watching cooking shows and learning new techniques to apply in her cooking. Korean food was her favorite, both to eat and to prepare.

In her spare time, Cathy enjoyed taking care of her pets, reading (she couldfinish a chapter book in a day), doing puzzles (1000 pieces), playing bingo (often with several boards at once), fishing (though she didn’t bait her own hook), watching mystery shows, documentaries, and law-related programs, traveling (Hawaii washer favorite destination, and she and Terry took their entire family there four times), and much more.

Cathy has attended church on and off throughout her life. She was baptizedas an adult alongside Terry. In the last year, after facing health challenges, her faith grew tremendously. She began attending Hope Church in St. Louis, where she built relationships and volunteered with Terry in the church's food outreach program, helping to cook meals.

When Cathy became ill, she trusted God completely. She prayed for healingon this side, but she knew, without a doubt, that if that didn’t happen, her healing would come in Heaven. She believed in Jesus Christ, and even in the midst of pain and suffering, she had peace. It was her faith that carried her through.

Cathy had so much more to give, but she would want everyone who lovedher to continue her legacy by spreading love, kindness, faith, compassion, smiles, and hugs. She was truly one of a kind. She will never be replaced or forgotten. The memories and love she instilled in each of us will carry on.Now, Cathy is whole, healed, and at peace in Heaven with her Lordand Savior, Jesus Christ.