René Angela (Korbas) Burtscher
René Angela (Korbas) Burtscher, age 64, of Shelby went to be with the Lord on Sunday, August 3, 2025 at Avita Health System- Ontario Hospital.
Born April 2, 1961 in Shelby, René was a 1979 graduate of Shelby High School and Pioneer Joint Vocational School where she was in the Cooperative Office Education program. Her education at Pioneer got her working life started in a variety of business professional roles for several years. In the early 2000s, she returned to college, at the same time as her daughters, working hard to fulfill her ultimate goal of a career in education. This mid-life change would soon become her passion. Through hard work and perseverance, René worked full time all while completing her degrees. She graduated from The Ohio State University and continued directly into earning her master’s degree from The University of Findlay- both degrees in education. While completing her schooling, she began working at Pioneer Career and Technology Center in Job Training.
René thrived in her role as an educator. As she completed her studies, more desirable positions at Pioneer became available, thus resulting in her becoming a VOSE coordinator which later morphed into being an intervention specialist- a position she still currently held. René was respected amongst colleagues, valued amongst peers, and beloved by her students whom she loved in return. Mrs. Burtscher was totally vested in not only her students’ education, but most importantly their well-being. This was evident in the time and dedication she spent planning their pathways and assisting in their goals. It was these qualities and more that earned her the much-deserved Pioneer Teacher of the Year in 2023-2024.
Of the many blessings that came to René from her time at Pioneer, truly the best was meeting her husband, Dan. They began dating and later married on July 3, 2012. Together they enjoyed many adventures, travels, and were always ready to try new things. René and Dan could not go anywhere without finding someone of which she had a connection or being sought out by both former students and friends. This was a result of her strong way of connecting with people and caring for them deeply.
René loved her family in all forms, both immediate and more distant. She was a loving wife, an undoubtedly devoted mother to her two daughters, and a beloved “Noonie” to her grandchildren. Incredibly creative, her summers were spent crafting adventures and activities for her grandkids. Grass did not grow under her feet. She was always ready to get out and do whatever was ahead, making memories unforgettable.
The color blue was her favorite no matter what- clothes, décor, flowers, and it ultimately may be the initial reason she was a Dallas Cowboys fan. However, that stayed persistent in her life along with golfing. She loved golf and proudly coached and helped form the Shelby Girls Golf Program at Shelby High School. Additionally, it was no secret that a stop to get a chai tea was a must no matter the occasion even if it was to travel to enjoy warm weather.
Survivors include her beloved husband: Daniel L. Burtscher; daughters: Rochelle (Mike) Zuercher of Shelby, Lauren (Jacob) Kirchner of Columbus, Leah Burtscher (Brandon Davidson) of Lakewood, Allison (John) Ballenger of Mansfield, and Josh Burtscher of Shelby; grandchildren: Beckett and Griffin Zuercher and Kenton and Madelyn Kirchner; her mother: Martha Alice (Kenton) Roberts of FL; sister and brother: Michele (Junior) Salinas of TX and Chris Korbas of Shelby; nephews and niece: Ryan (Jennifer) Salinas, Brenna (Donald) Pruett, Konnor Korbas, and Kody Korbas; mother and father-in-law: Walter and Barbara Burtscher of Dover; in-laws: David (Amy) Burtscher and Doug (Kelly) Burtscher; and numerous other relatives and friends including many cousins, aunts, and uncles. René was preceded in death by her beloved father, Paul Andy Korbas, in 1981.
Family and friends are welcome on Thursday, August 7, 2025 from 4-8 pm at the Penwell Funeral Home, 168 West Main Street, Shelby where a rosary will be recited at 8 pm. René’s Funeral Mass will be on Friday, August 8, 2025 at 10:30 am at Most Pure Heart of Mary Catholic Church, 29 West Street, Shelby, with Fr. Chris Mileski celebrating. Burial will be in the church cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Pioneer CTC to be used toward the newly founded René Burtscher Memorial Scholarship. Contributions may be left in the care of the funeral home.
Condolences may be made on René’s obituary on the funeral home’s website (PenwellFuneralHome.com) or their Facebook page (Facebook.com/PenwellFuneralHome).
To view René’s tribute video click here: René’s tribute video.
Dan,
I am so very sorry to hear of Rene’s passing. My sincere condolences to you,and your family.
God bless
Fran Schroeder
Heaven definitely got another angel as she was an angel here on earth…We will miss your sweet smile and your positive spirit!
Rochelle and Lauren, you will honor your mom with the life lessons she taught you and her strength! Dan, you were a blessing in her life! Rene’ , you have left a big hole in the Korbas family…
To Rene’s family, we are so incredbly saddened to get this news. Rene’ was one-of-a-kind; she and will be terribly missed. She made such a positive impact on many. God bless all of you.
My deepest condolences.
Thoughts and prayers for you all. Rene was a very very nice always smiling in the halls. We will all miss her at Pioneer. Thinking about you all.
Amy Law
Dan
So sorry to hear of your wifes passing. May the special memories you shared provide some peace and comfort during this difficult time!
LuAnn Trumpower
Dear Lord, please strengthen Rene’s family in their time of grief and sorrow. As they lift their eyes to You, remind them of Your love and that the empowering presence of Your Spirit, is available to them of every moment of each day. Amen.
I am so sorry to learn of Rene’s passing. She was one of the nicest people I have ever known. It was truly a pleasure to have known her. Rest in peace.
Dan, words are so inadequate to express our sorrow for you and all Rene’s family. We are sorry that we can’t be at calling hours to support you, but know that you are in our thoughts and prayers.
A wonderful person and amazing educator. I feel blessed to have known her. She will be greatly missed by all! My prayers for peace and comfort to all who knew her.
Rochelle, Lauren and families,
Your mom was an incredibly sweet soul but you already knew that. Sending hugs and prayers to all.
I may not have known her long, but her character was evident. She will be missed greatly. I’m so sorry for your loss. I will be praying for you all.
Ellie Beach
Mrs. Burtscher was quite literally the best educator at Pioneer Career and Technology center that I met last year in my Junior year. I felt obligated to share my love for her as a student who is planning on attending college. I am attending this year and understand it will be very hard remembering her divine smile that brightened up my day if it was rough. I distinctly remember the last day I ever spoke to her – Friday, May 23rd of this year. I told her it was nice meeting her this year and that I would see her next year. I know she is in a better place now and is reunited with her lost loved ones. She helped me learn a lot, and I know she will forever be a trailblazing beam of optimism and hope. May she rest in peace. She had a great love for her family, friends, and students. Truly a benevolent soul with an everlasting legacy that will come to the advantage of so many.
Dan & family. We are so very saddened by your loss of Rene. She was quite a woman and will be missed by so many. Prayers to you all.
Dan & family,
My heart is absolutely broken for you. Rene was the embodiment of love, compassion, and kindness. No matter what, she was there with a smile, words of comfort, or a listening ear. The world was a better place because of her; she won’t be forgotten. She lives in the hearts of her family, friends, colleagues, and especially – her students. She made a difference in countless lives and her legacy is one of love and light.
Sending you love and prayers!
Mary Cosker
Chris, Konner & Kody and family sorry for your loss.
Dan, I’m so sorry for your loss. I thought a lot of Rene and enjoyed talking to her at school. She was the sweetest and always had a smile on her face. I sure will miss seeing her. Your family is in my thoughts and prayers
I am so sorry to see this. She was such a special person and gifted educator. She was beautiful inside and out! Prayers for her family during this difficult time!
Dan and family, I am so terribly sorry to hear this. She was a light, a beacon of hope for so many. Her kindness and dedication will not be forgotten. My heart breaks for you all.
Our thoughts and prayers are with the family during this difficult time. Rene’ was special…….and will be missed.
There was so much about René’ I adored; her smile, her demeanor, her athletic abilities but mostly her calm sweet personality that she delivered with her beautiful smile to everyone!
She truly was an angel on earth and she will be missed my so many of us whose lives she touched!
Rene will be so incredibly missed! She left a positive, lasting impression to all those who were fortunate enough to share part of her life with her… family, friends, colleagues and students. Dan and family, you will remain our prayers.
I’m so blessed to have known Rene. Everyday we passed each other in the hall before the day began. Smiles and encouragement exchanged, making every day brighter ! Always positive , and calming. What a hole in all our hearts! Dan, prayers for peace and understanding , and may God cover you in his presence . We are here for you and your family always!
Dan & Family:
Sorry isn’t a big enough word to use with the loss of Rene. She was always a bright spot in my day with a “good morning” or just checking in to see how I was doing. The 2nd floor won’t be the same without her
everyday mrs burtscher smiled at me and said “hey marin!” she had a smile like no other and even on the days i was down she never failed to lift me right back up. you will be missed dearly, thank you for all you did for me! your family is in my thoughts and prayers
Dan, as you know, Rene was something special, probably the sweetest person I knew from work, always with a smile and kind words. When I heard, like all of your PCTC crew, it drained our hearts. May God hold you up while you mourn, then build you back up in his love. Know the Weibels are praying for you Dan. I’m so glad I knew her.
Our thoughts and prayers are with the family during this difficult time. I knew Rene from high school. She was such a sweet spirited and kind person.
So sorry for your loss. She is a lovely lady who continues to shine in another place.
Dan and Family,
I am so sorry for your loss. Rene will be deeply missed. She was always so kind and always had a smile on her face and no matter what was going on with her, she would ask how you were doing. She had such a kind, caring and giving heart. My prayers and thoughts are with you and your family.
I am so very sorry to hear of Rene’s passing. She was a very sweet caring lady.
Dan and family I am so sorry to hear about Rene. She was so sweet and caring and will be greatly missed. My daughter Angie had classes with her at OSU as well as her daughter. My thoughts and prayers are with all of you. Draw on the strength of the Lord to get you through this difficult time.
I was so saddened to hear of Rene’s passing, she was such a sweet, kind and gentle soul. I have fond memories of years ago when the kiddos were all young. God bless you all. Barb Ingram
Dan, I am so so sorry for your loss. Prayers for you and your family. I have been where you are now.❤️
Our thoughts and prayers are with your family.
Dan, I am sorry for your loss.
Dan; I am so sorry to hear of Rene’s passing. Whenever we talked she had a genuine smile and concern for the student(s) we discussed. I always admired her golf ability too. May God’s peace rest in your heart at this sad loss of life. Blessings to you-prayers as well. Doug Zimmerman
Michele and Chris, We are so sorry to hear of Rene’s passing. Such a beautiful and loving person. We toured Pioneer last fall and were fortunate enough to run into Rene in the hallways. Though it had been fifty plus years since living in town, it was like we had never left. Many good memories from long ago. Your dad would be so proud of the legacy Rene created, both in her personal and professional lives. Our thoughts and prayers are with both of you and also Rene’s family.
Dan & family,
I am so sorry to hear about Rene’s passing. She was the sweetest person – always positive and a smile on her face. It was so nice getting to know and work with her. It was always apparent that she loved her family and she loved teaching. Thinking of you all.
Oh Dan and family, There are no words anyone can say to ease your pain, so I won’t even try. I am holding you in my heart, Dan. Rene was a beautiful soul in every way and I know brought such joy to your life. May that joy and love sustain you in the days to come. I am so very sorry.
Sincerely,
Jo Ann Ritchie
Our thoughts and prayers are with you and your family. I was a friend of Rene’s from Shelby high school band where she played the clarinet and I played the flute. She had a wonderful smile and laugh! She will be remembered and missed. I’m so sorry for your loss.
Dan, we are keeping you and your family in our thoughts and prayers. We are so sorry for your loss.
We were so extremely saddened to hear of Rene’s unexpected passing. My fondest memories of Rene’ are from our early years, where her vibrant light always shined! Our heartfelt condolences and prayers to her loving family.
I was saddened to hear of Rene’s passing and prayer for comfort and peace for her family and friends.
Such a blessing Rene was to our Shelby community. All these loving comments, friends, family and colleagues, we will fondly remember everything she did with her beautiful smile and positive outlook. Prayers for her family.
Our sympathy to René’s family, friends and coworkers:
May your memories of her bring you comfort during this sad time.
René was a special person; she will be missed but never forgotten.
Rene and I were co-workers and friends when we were both very young at Shelby Life Insurance Company. Rene was special, she had a deep soul and was always so kind and thoughtful to everyone,. We had such a close team and we all got to be good friends, and had a lot of fun together. I will always remember her smiling and laughing. She must have touched so many lives, I know everyone will miss her dearly. Deepest condolences to her many friends and family.
Dan, I am so very sorry for your loss and pray that God will comfort you through this difficult time. Rene was the sweetest human and I will never forget how much she helped me out. She was truly one of a kind!!
Rene was my classmate at Shelby High School. I am so sorry for your loss. I remember her as a great classmate.
Dan & family, We are so sorry for your loss. We have always enjoyed seeing and talking with the both of you!
Dear Dan, Family and Friends
So sorry to hear of Rene’s passing! She was beautiful inside and out and always smiling when I would see her in the halls of PCTC! May our Lord comfort you and your family in your time of grief and sorrow! Take care,
Heather Brooks
Dan,
I’m so sorry for your loss. I will never forget the impact she had on the students and all the days we would pass in the hall, smile, and have small chats. She will be missed!
To the entire Korbas family and Dan, I am so sorry for your great loss. Rene was beautiful inside and out, kind and caring, and she will be missed greatly. I pray you are comforted by how much she was loved and respected by all. Her impact on the lives she touched will carry her memory on forever. In sympathy and love.
I send my condolences to Her Family, Friends and Co-workers. I also enjoyed our chats and her happy smiling face as we walked the Halls of Pioneer with “Our Littles” she always stopped and greeted us!
Heaven absolutely gained an Angel and she will be missed.
Dear Dan and family, our sadness in reading about the passing of Rene reminds us of the many happy, slightly crazy and always full of life conversations had at Pioneer. Our deepest condolences and prayers for you Dan and the family as you travel your upcoming days without dear Rene.
Rene had such a presence in this world representing goodness and caring. My heart goes out to her family and friends mourning her loss. We were all blessed to have had her in our lives. She is missed and held in our hearts.
I’m so saddened to hear the news. I consider myself blessed to have gotten to work with Rene’ these past several years. She truly was always a bright spot in the day, someone who embodied the saying “In a world where you can be anything, be kind.” Praying for Dan and family.
So sorry to hear of Rene’s passing, I knew her growing up when Martha would visit my Aunt Georgia Fagan, Martha’s sister, all three kids were so sweet. Sorry for your loss, Dan, Martha, Michelle and Chris. Prayers to you.
Dan, I am so very sorry for your loss. What a wonderful and kind lady, and she will be greatly missed by everyone. May your memories give you peace, and know that heaven got a pure angel in Rene❤️
Dan I just saw you and Renee and the grandsons baseball game in June and talking about your upcoming Vacation. I was so shocked to hear of Renee passing. Renee was such a sweet person always had a smile when ever I ran into her. The Pioneer students will miss her dearly and past students all have great things to say about her. Thoughts and prayers for you and your family during this time
We are so sorry to hear about the passing of Rene. Our thoughts are with the entire family during this difficult time. May you find comfort in the presence of loved ones while reminiscing of the wonderful memories of Rene that you hold dear.
Dan I am heartbroken for you and your family when I heard of Rene’s passing, I am so sorry for your loss, I will always remember Rene as a kind sweet lady who I always enjoyed working with. May God Bless you and your family during this difficult time.
So sorry to Rene family. She was the nicest lady ever. She will be missed. Our thoughts and prayers are with you all.
Rene was truly the kindest person I’ve ever known—always smiling, always ready to help someone in need. It was a privilege to know her, and I feel grateful for the time we shared. My thoughts and prayers are with Dan and her entire family during this difficult time.
Dan and family–so very sorry for your loss. Rene was a caring, beautiful person and we are all better for having known her.
Rene rode my bus in elementary school, and her family lived down the road from mine. I occasionally ran in to her over the years. She was always so sweet and kind. I’m so very sorry for her family and friends’ loss. She obviously made a powerful impact on so many people throughout her life.