John "Jack" Burry

John Burry, Jr. (“Jack”) passed away July 1, 2019 in Jacksonville, Florida surrounded by his loving family. Jack was born in Staten Island, New York in 1931 to John and Harriet (Wagle) Burry. He graduated from Curtis High School in 1949 and St. Lawrence University (BS Mathematics) in 1953, where he was a member of Beta Theta Pi fraternity and “pinned” his college sweetheart, Sylvia Jane Holden. They were married in 1953 and went on to have a large, happy family (five daughters and two sons). After graduation, Jack served in the U.S. Army during the Korean War and worked for Burry Corporation (a family owned paint manufacturing business) for several years. In 1961, he accepted a position at Cornell University, which led to an assignment in Puerto Rico managing the pioneering Arecibo Ionospheric Observatory. While there, Jack and his young family made many treasured memories and he attained his MBA from Inter American University in 1966. Upon returning from Puerto Rico, he worked at Harvard University, Erie Community College, and Sylvania Electronic Systems, while again pursuing higher education, graduating from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (CAS Urban Affairs) in 1972. Jack then joined the Blue Cross and Blue Shield health insurance plans where he established a long, successful career, holding CFO positions in the New Hampshire/Vermont, Virginia, and Michigan plans. He was sought after for his innovative ideas and leadership and advanced to chairman & CEO of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Ohio, a plan he was instrumental in creating through multiple mergers before his retirement in 1997. Jack believed in the importance of higher education and helped both students and faculty by funding several endowments, including two at his alma mater, St. Lawrence University. Jack enjoyed reading newspapers, investing, golfing, and travel. Over the years, he and Sylvia hosted many special reunion vacations for their large extended family, including unforgettable trips to Norway, Switzerland, Ireland, and Scotland. Jack was a generous, loving, thankful, kind, patriotic and intelligent man, who made friends wherever he went. He is survived by his devoted wife of 66 years, Sylvia; his children, Susan Burry Adams (John), Marie Burry Mayer, John Allen Burry, Sandra Burry Groden (Bryan), Harriet Lynn Burry (Rene Santana), Amy Burry Spence (Richard), and Peter Ross Burry (Paige); his brother, Donald Laurence Burry (Lillian); his niece, Lenore Burry Manicioto; and many loving grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Jack was preceded in death by his parents and his son-in-law, John Russell Mayer (“Rusty”). In lieu of flowers, donations in Jack’s name to student scholarships (https://alumni.stlawu.edu/make-an-online-gift)would be appreciated (note “Jack and Sylvia Burry Endowed fund for University Fellows” in the comments box). A memorial service will be held at Cypress Village in Jacksonville on August 3, 2019 at 1pm to commemorate Jack’s life.