Dr. John Withrow Burris

John Burris, 84, a man of God, went to be with our Savior on Monday, December 1, 2014 at Hospice Ministries in Ridgeland, Mississippi. Visitation will be held Wednesday, December 3 from 4:00-7:00 PM at Lakewood Funeral Home on Clinton Boulevard. A celebration of his life will be held in the funeral home chapel on Thursday at 1:00 PM with visitation one hour prior. Interment will follow at Lakewood Memorial Park.

He was a loving husband, father, grandfather, and friend. He was so kind and compassionate and his quiet strength and dedication to our Lord was an inspiration to all who knew him.

He served his country for 24 years and retired from the Air Force in 1973 as a Lt. Colonel. He received his Masters of Science in 1975, and his Doctor of Philosophy in 1977. He began working for the state of Mississippi with the Nature Conservancy and the Department of Wildlife Fishery and Parks in 1977 and was the Director of the Turcotte Fishery Lab. He retired from the state of Mississippi with 19 years of service.

He is survived by the love of his life Inez Burris, his daughter and son-in-law Debra and Vernon Montgomery, and his granddaughter Karlye Montgomery and her fiancé Bradley Ingram.

He was a long time member of Providence Presbyterian Church where he was Elder Emeritus. Donations may be made to the Providence Presbyterian building fund at P.O. Box 1255 Clinton, MS 39060 or Hospice Ministries at 405 Towne Center Blvd. Ridgeland, MS 39157.

Our special thanks to Dr. Patrick Daily, Dr. Bobby Graham, Dr. Eric Balfour, and the staff at Hospice Ministries for their wonderful care, love, and support for John and our family.

Visit lakewoodfuneralhomes.com for online guestbook.