Esther Milligan Burroughs

Esther Ruth Milligan Burroughs February 7, 1937- December 3rd, 2024 The beautiful life of Esther Milligan Burroughs ended peacefully in Greenville, South Carolina on December 3, 2024. The third of five children, Esther was born in British Columbia, Canada. Her mother was unknowingly pregnant with twins, and not expecting two babies at once, she surprised everyone by arriving six hours after her twin brother. She would later exclaim “I’m just glad they found me!”

At eighteen, with a small bag and a few dollars Esther boarded a bus in Vancouver that was bound for Mars Hill Junior College in North Carolina. This is where she met the love of her life, Bob. They graduated from Oklahoma Baptist University. After starting their family and serving churches in Oklahoma and Texas, the Burroughs moved to Birmingham, Alabama. As a gifted leader and mentor to students, Esther became Alabama’s first female Baptist campus minister at Samford University. She pioneered college student mission trips taking groups to Hell’s Kitchen, New York.

In 1980 Esther began what became two decades of ministry at the North American Mission Board, serving in the areas of missions and evangelism. This national role launched a speaking career which had her crossing the country addressing college students, women’s conferences and national conventions. She also traveled globally investing time with missionaries and their families.

Esther was a gifted communicator. She shared her heart through stories and through the treasures she found in daily Biblical study. She is the author of five books and penned the lyrics to countless hymns and anthems composed by her husband and partner in ministry Bob.

Her gentleness and kindness were as apparent on a stage as they were in her kitchen. She could bake an amazing cheesecake and created beautiful heirloom clothes for her grandchildren. She whistled as she worked around the house, mostly hymns. She was actually as content with being a wife, mother and grandmother as she was speaking, writing or teaching. Esther Burroughs is survived by her college sweetheart, best friend and husband of 68 years Bob L. Burroughs. She loved without condition their two children Melody Burroughs Reid (Will) of Greenville, SC and David Lloyd Burroughs (Colleen) of Birmingham, AL.

The joy of her heart is reflected in the lives and laughter of her five grandchildren, Anna Reid Bowling (Brad), Caroline Reid Donaldson (Matthew), Frances Reid Twomey (Michael), Milligan Burroughs Hall (Jonathan) and Walker Lloyd Burroughs. The delight Esther found in the tiniest of things, continues in the squeals and giggles of her three great-grandchildren, Helen Gray Bowling, Reid Bradford Bowling and Wilder James Twomey. Among the thousands of things those who loved her will remember, among them will be her elegant hands and how she held them to her face when she laughed. And then there was always the hankie she held in her hand.

Esther loved supporting Passport and she spent her professional life mentoring women’s call to ministry at every level of leadership. She broke many glass ceilings, and her family is exceedingly proud of the impact she had on a women’s rights to serve and lead in ministry. .

In lieu of flowers the family asks that you please consider giving to Passport Camps https://passportcamps.org/donate/ or Baptist Women in Ministry. https://bwim.info/give/ as a wonderful way to remember her.