Joyce Childers Burnett

February 13, 1940, Joyce was born in Crockett, Texas, to Austin David Childers and Alma Irene

Graham. She grew up in La Marque, Texas, where she was a twirler for the band, and moved to

Arlington, Texas, where she was a graduate of Arlington High School Class of 1958.

She married the true love of her life, Paul W. Burnett, on September 16, 1961. They were inseparable

and enjoyed fifty-eight years of marriage. Joyce and Paul were blessed with two children, Kimberly

Sanford and Paul D. Burnett.

After working in Human Resources, Joyce founded Burnett’s Staffing, Inc. with Paul in 1966. The

staffing and recruitment agency they dedicated their lives to is still thriving today. The company

remains family-owned and operated by their son, Paul D. Burnett, and three

grandchildren.

Joyce was extraordinary in everything that she did. She was not only a loving and caring wife, sister,

mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother, but she was a devout Christian, a pioneering

businesswoman, and an outspoken advocate for women’s rights and equal pay. She believed that

women deserved more than a seat at the table; she decreed that a woman should be running the

boardroom.

She was the first woman appointed to the Board of Directors of the Arlington Chamber of

Commerce. In addition, she served as the President of the Arlington Women’s Division, President of

the Arlington Soroptimist Club, and President of the Metroplex Employment Association.

Joyce was the Vice-President and Director of the Texas Association of Personnel Consultants. She

also served on the Board of Directors of various North Texas banks. Joyce supported numerous local

charities serving as the head chairman. She was the recipient of multiple awards and received the

Norval Locke Award from the Texas Association of Personnel Consultants, TAPC’s highest award for

their contribution to the industry.

She enjoyed boating with her husband and frequently spent quality time with her brother and sister,

nieces, and nephews at her lake house on Lake Fork. Joyce loved traveling. She often marveled while

visiting the great state of Alaska, recalled romantic trips through Western Europe, and could

spontaneously be spotted sitting at a slot machine or front row at a Las Vegas show.

Joyce is succeeded by her brother, John Childers and wife Linda, son Paul D. Burnett and wife Jeri, daughter Kimberly Sanford and husband Tom, grandchildren, Alex Sanford, Kayli Burnett-Jaskot and husband Jonathan, Makenzie Bonham and husband Kristopher, Brayden Paul Burnett and wife Ashley, and four great-grandchildren, Walker Paul Burnett, Nora Nicole Burnett, Beau Todd Burnett, and Fiona Jolene Jaskot, as well as many nieces and nephews.

A private ceremony will take place Thursday, August 19, 2021, at 10:00 am at Moore Funeral Home

at 1219 N. Davis Drive, Arlington, Texas 76012. In place of flowers, the family kindly requests that

donations be made to the American Heart Association in honor of her husband, Paul W. Burnett,

who suffered many years with a heart condition.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.moore-funeralhome.com for the Burnett family.