John Christopher Burch Jr.

Devoted father and grandfather, beloved by all, John C. Burch, Jr. died Wednesday, February 25th at Vanderbilt Medical Center due to head injuries from a fall. He is survived by his brother Lucius Burch, two daughters Frances Burch and Christina Burch and granddaughter Elizabeth Burch.

Born in Nashville in 1940 to the renowned surgeon and dean of the Medical School at Vanderbilt University, Dr. John C. Burch and his wife Frances Vivian (Harris). His siblings included brother Lucius and half sisters Alice and Jane Tyne. During WWII, the family was stationed at Fort Sam Houston in Texas where John attended kindergarten. After the war, they returned to Nashville where he delighted in summers with his grandparents, Lucius E. Burch and Sarah Polk Burch at Riverwood in Nashville. He attended Palmer Elementary School and Montgomery Bell Academy in Nashville and then Episcopal High School in Virginia. He earned his degree in History from Vanderbilt University in 1963 and served in the United States Army stationed in Korea on the DMZ in 1962-63. He later served in the communications room at the White House during the Kennedy Administration.

He began his career in Capital Markets working for the Bank of New York and then became Vice President of the Wall Street brokerage firm Loab Rhaodes & Co. In 1969 John was married at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City to Susan Marie Klein, a Research Nurse specializing in pioneering Trauma Care at Columbia Presbyterian Hospital in Manhattan. They had three children, Frances, Christina and John. In 1975 the family moved to Nashville, where he went to work for J.C. Bradford and Co. and then SunTrust Equitable Securities Corp. as Vice President and head of the Equity Syndicate Department. He co-authored and edited over twenty editions of The Capital Markets Handbook, the authoritative desk reference for Capital Markets Professionals, published by the Securities Industry Association and Aspen Law & Business. He served as Chairman of the Securities Industry Association Syndicate Committee and also served as the Chairman of the Southern/South Central District of the SIA. He was an instructor at the Capital Markets Program sponsored by the SIA and has lectured at Kelly School of Business at Indiana University and at the Vanderbilt University School of Law and the School of Business. He was a certified NASDR Arbitrator and a member of the Association for Investment Management and Research and is listed in Who’s Who in America and Who’s Who in Finance and Industry. In 2001, Mr. Burch established Capital Markets Advisors, LLC, a financial advisory firm offering advice on capital markets issues to corporate issuers, investment banks, broker dealers, attorneys and regulatory authorities.

John was an avid outdoorsman who enjoyed hunting and fishing and served as President of the Highland Rim Forestry Association in recent years. He was awarded Tennessee Tree Farmer of the Year in 2019 for his work with the Briarpatch Family Farm. He shared his love of nature and history with friends, family, and each of his children. He was a jewel treasury of stories, histories, and genealogy and his fabulous Oral History was recorded in 2020 and will soon be published. In later years, he continued to run his own business and walked two miles a day. After losing his wife in 2019 and son in 2020, he surprised us all by taking up ballroom dancing in his 80s, winning numerous competitions. Most recently he was enjoying the wonderful companionship of Ms. Patsey Carney Reed. He inspired us all with his intellect, strength and vitality and will be remembered for his jolly good nature and old world charm, his wonderful storytelling, and his deep, vast knowledge of history and business and his devotion to family and friends, but most of all his sweet smile and his tall silhouette and his signature old, worn Stetson hat.

Services will be held Friday, March 7th at Saint George’s Episcopal Church followed by internment at Mt. Olivet Cemetery. Visitation will begin at 9:30am with Mass to follow at 10:30 AM. There will be a reception held at the Belle Meade Country Club from 1:30-3:30 PM.

Memorial donations may be made to Goodwill or the Salvation Army.