Willis Pinkney Burgess

Willis Pinkney Burgess was summoned to this world on May 16, 1933. He departed peacefully to eternal life on February 4, 2022. Willis was born in Oakland, California, to the late Willis Pinkney Burgess Sr. and Louise Bolden of Berkeley California. During his time here on earth Willis functioned with effortless ease, carefreeness, harmony, joy, and love.

Willis is survived by his wife Joyce Marie Burgess, his children Dawn L. Burgess, Mark W. Burgess, Kim E. Duckett, his grandchildren Paul Gieger, Erica Gieger, Tahir Duckett, Bilal Duckett, His brother Lawrence (Sonny) Thompson, and his wife Cherie, his nephew Chris Burgess, and Dewar Coleman whom he mentored and loved as a son from his youth through his manhood. He was predeceased by his brother Cecil Burgess, his sister Greta Burgess, ex-wife Effie Burgess the mother of his three children.

Willis spent his childhood living in Oakland, California, upon graduating from Berkeley high school, he enlisted in the Navy and served from February 1952 to October 1953. He separated from the Navy and later joined the United States Air Force in 1955, he separated in 1956. He went on to work as an on-site calibration and repair service specialist of Tactical Air Navigation Equipment Aboard Naval Carriers at the Naval Aviation Depot in Alameda, California for 38 years. He was recognized numerous times for having Zero Defects during Navel inspections, evaluations, and quality control checks of his work. Willis’s work exemplified the best of quality, functional ability, and reliability in helping the Navy accomplish its mission. Willis and his team of repair specialist were instrumental in the Naval carriers performing their mission during Desert Storm deployment.

Willis and Joyce were married in September 2003 and moved to Discovery Bay. They loved their home on the waterfront, the ocean view, and their community. They spent many hours enjoying the Yacht Club, Sports Bar, shopping, or just sitting on the deck enjoying each other’s company watching the boats go up and down the bay with family and friends.

He was a lifelong Daytona 500 and NASCAR Cup Series racing supporter and attended many racing events before his health changed. Willis enjoyed watching his sport programs sipping on a glass of Jim Beam bourbon, in his favorite chair. This was the highlight of his retirement! He would entertain friends and family members from that chair, keeping full control of the remotes. He knew he was the perfect host!

Willis will be sorely missed, and all whom loved him dearly will never forget his tenacity, wit, charm, grace, undying love, and caring for all. Please keep him and Joyce in your prayer for she was his true love.

Willis was a rare combination of someone who had a love of life, and a firm understanding of what was important-the simplicity of living a life with those you love.