Richard Stephen Burrow

Richard Stephen Burrow, 72, of Mesa, Arizona, passed away peacefully on October 6, 2025, with both of his sons close for his final hours. Though dementia dimmed his memory in the last years of his life, it never diminished his kindness or the love he had for his family.

Rich was born in Amityville, New York, on November 12th, 1952. He graduated from the Pratt Institute with a degree in Electrical Engineering and later earned an MBA from the University of Massachusetts Amherst and a Master’s in Systems Engineering. He also held several professional certifications, including Lean Six Sigma and Project Management Professional (PMP), reflecting his lifelong commitment to learning.

Rich married Ali Korbel Burrow on November 21, 1973, and they shared a loving marriage until her passing in 2023. They prioritized their two sons above all else, relocating from California to Massachusetts in 1998 motivated by a desire to give the boys the best possible education.

Rich balanced a demanding career with an ever-present commitment to being there for his boys. He supported their hobbies and sports tirelessly, particularly the hundreds of swim meets. His own hobby was genealogy research - occasionally traveling to visit specific libraries or graveyards. He was also a scuba diver, woodworker, worked on his own cars, and fixed everything around the house himself.

Professionally, Rich had a long and accomplished career as an electrical engineer and systems engineer. His work included building early portable x-ray devices at Kevex in Sunnyvale, California. During that time he was a named inventor on at least one patent (US5077771A “Hand held high power pulsed precision x-ray source”, cited by 117+).

After relocating to Massachusetts, he worked on a number of military power supply projects at K&M (later acquired by ITT Industries) in West Springfield, Massachusetts. His sons worked summer internships there and witnessed both Rich’s kindness and the respect his peers had for him. Rich inspired his son Tom to pursue engineering.

Rich is lovingly remembered by his brothers Robert, James, and Michael; his sons Thomas Joseph and Timothy Edward; and his grandson, Henry Robert (Thomas and Jennifer).

Services to be scheduled at a later date.