Susan Mae Burton Soto was born July 13, 1952, in Champaign, Illinois. She was the last of six children born to Ethelene Griffin Burton, hence the reason her playful brothers called her “Sue Baby.”

Her mother had wanted to move from Mississippi to “give her children a better chance at life.” As grace would have it, she moved to Champaign, Illinois, to stay in a home in a historical black neighborhood, owned by her brother-in-law and sister, Fred and Evelyn Walker, while they were stationed overseas.

Susan was preceded in death by her mother, by her brother Al Burton (Marvella), and by Willie Burton, a father to all.

Although she was only twelve years old when her mother passed, she was instilled with values that would carry her through life, to do her best in whatever she endeavored.

Family values included church and school. She attended Mount Olive Missionary Baptist Church. She graduated from Champaign Centennial High School in June of 1970. She participated in the Upward Bound program at the University of Illinois for Black graduating high school students, that allowed the students to live, study and experience campus life for the first time.

While attending the NCO club at Chanute AFB in Rantoul, IL, where her sister Barbara was the lead singer for the band playing that night, she met the love of her life, Cruz Soto. They married and had two sons, Cruz and Cimmaron. Together, they travelled to England and Okinawa. While they were in Okinawa, her sister Barbara was in the Philippines. They used military hops to visit each other and to shop in other countries.

Upon her husband retiring after 20 years of service, they settled in Landover Hills, MD.

Susan worked jobs spanning from retail, banking, (where she was sent to set up that banking system in Panama), mid-level management for Cellular One (when cell phones were just coming to market) and chef for husband's mobile catering service.

The Burt(e,i,o)n family was blessed by her research which listed over nine hundred members!

But what she loved most was being a mother and care giver to her husband, children, grandchildren and great grandchildren. She is affectionately called Nana. She was a great and respected matriarch of her clan.

Susan's husband Cruz preceded her in death. She leaves to mourn four siblings: Willie Burton (Susan), Barbara Burton Pugh (Floyd), Curtis Burton (Kim), and Walter Burton (Thelma); two children: Cruz Soto and Cimmaron Soto; three grandchildren : Cimmara Soto Bullock (Maliek), Cimmina Soto and Ashley Soto Freeman (Jeremy) and four great grandchildren: Braxton, Braylon and Amara Bullock and Josiah Fisher. She will also be sorely missed by her neices, Sheleta Pugh and Vanessa Warrior who both called her a second mother.

May her soul rest in Heavenly Peace

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