Clarice Phyllis Solomon Burch embodied what it means to live fearlessly and in
full color, because hers was a complete life built upon abiding faith wrapped in family,
goodness, and grace.

Mrs. Burch was steadfast in her purpose on Earth, simply to spread joy. She believed in
setting examples in words and deeds, in the power of compassion and in sprinkling her
life with fun. That approach was rewarded many times over with a devoted family and
generations of friends who adopted her as their own.

She was married for nearly 60 years to the late Lonnie Ford Burch, and this enduring union produced five children, four of whom graduated from Parker High School.

Mrs. Burch spent many decades working in the food industry at the Birmingham school system, the Birmingham Housing Authority, and finally, she worked as director of Meal Services for Mountain Brook Baptist Church, from which she retired in 2012. She was a longtime member of Bethel Baptist Church, where she served in various ministries. She was also the travel coordinator for the Prime Timers, a group of adventurous seniors.
Because Mrs. Burch understood cooking as an expression of love, she served in the church's food ministry, but it was also not uncommon to find friends gathered at the family home fellowshipping over a meal she prepared, including her famous hot rolls.

Mrs. Burch also served the larger community. She often preached the importance of voting and civic engagement, and she served as voting poll captain for District Six. In her leisure time, Mrs. Burch loved to travel and learn about other cultures and cuisine. At home, she enjoyed watching football and basketball games, awed by the magic of those sports.

But dearest to her heart was her unwavering support for Parker High School, home of the Thundering Herd. Wearing stylish ensembles of purple and white, Mrs. Burch was an active alumna since the day she walked across the graduation stage more than 75 years ago. That support has come in the form of time and talent, participating in fundraisers, scholarship drives, and donations.

It is in this spirit that her youngest son, Kevin, created the Clarice Burch Scholar Award in 2016 to be given annually to a graduating Parker High School senior in pursuit of a degree at a Historically Black College and University.