Although Roberta Burwell died Nov. 18 due to health complications, many within the county believe her legacy will live on, most notably in the business she helped create with her husband more than a decade ago.
Known as “Ms. Roberta” by many, Burwell moved to area in 1996 after having previously lived in Florida, where she helped cofound The First National Bank of Southwest Florida and retired as senior vice president.
Burwell and her husband, Gene, initially worked with Good Samaritan Center of Loudon County. In 2002, they opened up Good Neighbors Shoppe in downtown Lenoir City and stayed there for two years before moving to a 5,000-square-foot building on Leeper Parkway. In 2014, the store relocated to its current location, also on Leeper Parkway, but with 12,500 square feet.
“My dad and my mom wanted anybody that had a problem that couldn’t afford it to be able to afford it without feeling ashamed basically,” Anita Burwell Gouley said. “Some people have hard times, but some places they go they make them kind of feel bad and that’s not the plan of the Good Neighbors Shoppe. (The goal) is to make everybody feel special, everybody to feel important and help their needs as they go along. ... She wanted to finish their mission after daddy died in 2010 and that drive that she had, that driving force, was to finish their dream and they did, she did.”
Since opening in 2002, GNS board treasurer Bud Ferguson said the store has contributed $2.2 million to various organizations in the community, including Good Samaritan Center, Kids First Child Advocacy Center of the Ninth Judicial District and Crisis Center for Women-Immediate Vital Assistance Services. GNS has also provided area schools grants, which totaled $75,000 this year. This year’s goal is to contribute $440,000 to agencies in Loudon County, he said.
Despite their giving, board member Jinny Wendel said GNS has never been about boasting its contribution totals, and that’s how Burwell wanted it.
“She inspired us all,” Ferguson said. “This new building was built — well now it’s been 2 years old — but that was a long process of getting this building put together. ... She had the vision, and many of us we got a little discouraged along that process because it took so long, but she was determined that we were going to build that building, we were going to build it there and it turned out to be very successful.”
Anita said board members got together to figure out how to best pay tribute to the longtime community supporter, and ultimately they all agreed to keep working in her honor.
“She will be missed so much even by people that didn’t know her or think they know her,” Wendel said. “There’s always going to come a time where Roberta’s going to come to mind and you’re going to think, wow, what a wonderful person. She was a wonderful mother, grandmother, great grandmother. I talked to Roberta every day and all through her illness I called her to inform her what was going on. Roberta is one of a kind. The both of them were just one of a kind.”
Ferguson described Burwell as an “inspirational figure” who always seemed to know what needed to be done at GNS.
“She had a way of making everyone feel welcome,” Bill Gouley, Anita’s husband, said. “She was a very nice person, very polite and she took care of business. She really did take care of business, and she was fast. She would think fast. Like someone would say, ‘What (do you) think if I put this couch that just came in?’ ‘Over here.’ Before you could even look around she already knew she wanted it over here. It was just boom, boom, boom, and just rapid fire thought process.”
Wendel said Burwell was “one of the strongest women that I’ve ever met” who had a “big heart.”
“It’s amazing, she would never let anything go by her,” Wendel said. “When we were opening the store she took charge of everything. She was so amazing, and she knew where everything was going to go. She was just — I’ve never met anybody like Roberta. I was always mesmerized because she always had the answer. She was always like, ‘This is how we’re going to do it,’ and she had the kind of quality that people listened to. She wasn’t bossy or made you feel belittled or anything. It was just like you were always a part of the team. Not everybody can do that. You couldn’t help but fall in love with her.”
A celebration of life was held Nov. 21 at the Community Church at Tellico Village where she was a member.
“God was always there in heart and always behind her and when she died I think a little bit of her left because maybe she wanted it that way but now she’s up there in heaven with her husband, Gene, and I’m sure she’s happy there too,” Wendel said.
