March 14, 1935 - August 12, 2026
John F. Burton, Jr., 91, of Skillman, NJ, died on Wednesday, August 12, 2026 at Penn Medicine at Princeton Medical Center.
He was born in Canton, Ohio, and lived in Princeton, NJ, Ithaca, NY, and Chicago, IL, among other places, before moving into the Stonebridge at Montgomery senior living community in Skillman, NJ in 2021.
One of the nation’s foremost scholars on workers’ compensation, he was Professor Emeritus and the founding Dean of the School of Management and Labor Relations at Rutgers University, and Professor Emeritus in the School of Industrial and Labor Relations at Cornell University. He received his undergraduate degree in industrial and labor relations from Cornell. He has a law degree and a Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Michigan.
John enjoyed the company of friends, family and colleagues; his quick wit, spontaneity, and joy of life made him the highlight of dinner parties, holiday gatherings, and his many class reunions. He was a Michigan Wolverines die-hard (Go Blue!), a Rutgers Scarlet Knight booster, and a football history enthusiast.
He was an accomplished amateur photographer, and later in life became an all-star bocce player. He relished good food (especially when accompanied by even better wine) and great music (especially concerts, from bluegrass to classical). Most of all, he loved his family; his wife, kids and extended kin were the center of his life.
He is predeceased by his parents John Francis Sr. and Beatrice Beck Burton, and his beloved wife of 62 years Janet Burton. He is survived by his sister Sue Burton and her husband Jan Schultz; daughter, Rebecca Burton; his sons, John F. Burton, III, and Scott Burton; and his daughter-in-law Nicole Blades and grandson Quinn Burton.
A memorial service will be announced at a later time. Memorial donations in his memory can be made to the John Burton Internship Fund administered by the National Academy of Social Insurance.
Arrangements are by Mather-Hodge Funeral Home.
