She had a beautiful soul—one that touched the hearts of everyone she met. She possessed a rare gift of making people feel seen and valued, always finding something kind and complimentary to say, whether to family, a friend, or a complete stranger. Her warmth was effortless, her kindness genuine, and her love abundant. Everyone who met her couldn't help but love her.
She was blessed with many talents and shared them generously with others. Music lived within her soul. Whether singing as a member of her church choir or playfully playing the piano by air, she found joy in life's simple moments. She had an extraordinary gift for words, writing hundreds of poems throughout her lifetime, many of them deeply personal treasures written especially for family and friends. She was also a gifted freehand artist whose creativity reflected the beauty she saw in the world around her.

Life, however, asked much of her. She endured more loss than most could ever imagine, yet she faced each heartbreak with remarkable grace and resilience. She mourned the tragic loss of her sister, Betty Burton, on August 2, 1952. Her beloved mother, Edna Mae Bourne Burton, passed away peacefully on October 31, 1974. Her first husband, Fire Lieutenant William James Mercer, suddenly passed away on October 4, 1979.
Only two years later, tragedy struck once again when her sons, William Barry (age 15), Robert Paul (age 8), her daughter, Joanne Nichole (age 10), and her brother, Edrick Burton, lost their lives in a helicopter crash on October 24, 1981. She then mourned the loss of her father, William Burton, in 1983, her loving stepmother Lucy Knee, followed by her last surviving sibling, Allan Burton, September 11, 2002. 

She is survived by her loving husband Kent Ryckman, daughter Jodi Dalley and grandchildren Nicole Dally, Mike Dalley and stepson Steven Dalley

For many, such sorrow would have been impossible to bear. Yet she chose not to let grief define her. Though her heart carried the weight of unimaginable loss, she continued to share her smile, her compassion, and her generous spirit with all who knew her. She found the strength to carry on through the love she had for her last living daughter, whose presence became her greatest blessing and a constant reminder that life was still filled with purpose, joy, and hope.

What makes her story so extraordinary is not the tragedy she endured, but the love she continued to give. She never allowed life's hardships to diminish her gentle spirit. She remained someone who saw the good in others, who offered words of encouragement, who celebrated the happiness of those around her, and who quietly gave pieces of her heart to everyone she met. She taught us that no matter how much sorrow we carry, there is always room for kindness, compassion, and love.

She taught us that true strength is not found in never falling, but in rising again and again with love still in your heart. Her life was a beautiful testament to resilience—not merely surviving life's greatest losses, but continuing to live with grace, faith, and an open heart. Through every season of her life, she remained gentle, giving, and full of light.