John Travis Burleson

It is with profound sadness that we announce the loss of our father, John Travis Burleson, Junior, who passed on December 19th, 2024, at the age of 79 due to a late diagnosed glioblastoma. Travis was born in Houston in 1945 to Marion Downing (Morcom) and John Burleson. He was the eldest of four brothers, Jerry, Ashley and Blair, whom he remained in regular contact with as a big brother throughout his life.

Around approximately 1962, Travis started surfing in Galveston, Texas with his brother Jerry, during the early cusp of surfing popularity all over the U.S. The Beach Boys' first album, “Surfin’ Safari” , had just come out. He, as well as much of America’s youth, knew all of their songs by heart. Travis and his brother Jerry created their own surfboard rental business in their late teens, later partnering with a high school friend in an enlarged surfboard sales and rental business which they eventually sold.

Travis moved to Southern California when he was approximately 18 and joined the military. He served in the Marine Corps and later the Army as he wanted to become a pilot. He served in the military for a total of five years and had about 650 hours of pilot training when he suffered an accident that left him blind in his right eye, and his hopes of becoming a pilot dashed.

In 1970, Travis married Bettye Taylor, who he had three children with, and then finished earning his Bachelor’s degree in Real Estate Finance from California State University, Long Beach. He continued to surf all over Southern California around this time. He worked for Air Cal as a ramp agent and later as a ticket agent and then as a car rental agent for Hertz while he earned his degree. After a few years, he worked as a car salesman at Toyota Carlsbad before becoming a commercial real estate broker and building his own successful real estate business where he worked for the rest of his long career, Burleson Pacific, where his first granddaughter interned.

After several years of being single, he met Lynn Flanagan while volunteering for the Heart of San Diego Marathon. They had an instant connection and married soon thereafter in 1987. They enjoyed 35 years of marriage together as soulmates, and spent their time almost always together. He served on the board of the Oceanside YMCA, the Heart Association, and Young Life. He was also active in the Carlsbad High Noon Rotary Club for many years.

For decades, they both enjoyed running and fitness, Lynn having her own sports events company, In Motion, Inc. Before meeting Lynn, Travis had finished many marathons (including ones in New York, Honolulu, London, and Los Angeles) and a few triathlons. He lived in North County San Diego most of his life after moving to California from Texas. As they aged, they slowed down a bit and walked a couple of miles and back to daily morning coffee at Peets in La Costa and met with friends to socialize. In October of 2023, Lynn passed away due to muscular system atrophy. Travis lived in North County San Diego most of his life after moving to California from Texas.

After his retirement in 2010, he became a prolific abstract painter and created at least 100 works. He also took up photography, photographing all over the Southwest with friends. He enjoyed walking in nature and had been hiking several miles a day and photographing the mountains in his last home of Big Bear Lake right up until his brain bleed in September of 2024.

At the hospital and in rehabilitation, he worked hard with his usual tenacity and optimism to recover, only to have another brain bleed three months later and days before his passing. He passed away peacefully at Riverside University Medical Center with one daughter present, and his other daughter FaceTiming through Travis’s hearing amplification system, a longtime friend also present. While unconscious, he had just listened to curated songs from the Beatles, the Beach Boys, and some gospel when he joined his parents, some former friends, and soulmate, Lynn, in heaven.

Travis is survived by his three children, Jeffrey Burleson, Jenifer Jaffe, and Leslee Aga, grandchildren Chandler, Leo, and Aaron Burleson, Kadie and Leonard Jaffe, and Cameron Aga, his three brothers, Jerry, Ashley, and Blair Burleson as well as many friends. A memorial service will be held at Miramar National Cemetery on February 6th, 2025 at 11:00 AM, 5795 Nobel Drive, San Diego. A Celebration of Life will follow at Casa Guadalajara Mexican Restaurant in Old Town, San Diego. In lieu of flowers, the family kindly requests that donations be made in John Travis’s memory to the American Cancer Society or Mission MSA.