Oliver Burgess

Oliver (Ollie) T. Burgess, 85, of Tallahassee, Florida died September 29, 2001. Ollie was born in St Albans, West Virginia and graduated from St Albans, West Virginia High School. After starting college at West Virginia University, he joined the Army after Pearl Harbor and served as a Staff Sargent in the 101st Airborne Infantry with action during D-Day, Ardennes, Bastogne and Vechel among others in Central Europe. Honorably Discharged from the Army in 1945, he returned to West Virginia University and continued his studies in Agriculture. He joined Delta Tau Delta fraternity and was President of the WVU house in 1946. He was also a member of the Ag Club and the WVU Mountain, a group of outstanding men students. He got married to Elizabeth Jane Randal shortly after graduation in 1946. They moved to Thomasville, GA where he worked for Crowley Dairy Products in Thomasville, GA before working for Crowley in Chipley, FL. He worked briefly as an Assistant County Agent (Florida Extension Service) in Marianna, FL. He later became a partner with WB Anderson for the Anderson-Burgess Dairy in Jackson County Florida. After leaving the dairy business in 1964, he went back to school for a teaching certificate and taught Agriculture at Graceville High School. Before retiring, he worked with the Jackson County Association for Retarded Citizens. He was active in the leadership of Jackson County Dairy Co-op and Greenwood School PTA. In addition, he was a Deacon and Elder in the First Presbyterian Church of Marianna Florida. He retired in 1980 and in 1990 moved with Jane to Westminster Oaks in Tallahassee. He and Jane were instrumental in the continuation of the Westminster Oaks Country Store for which they won a Volunteer Award from Florida Association for Homes for the Aging. At the time of his death on September 29, 2001, he was preceded in death by his parents, William Alexander Burgess and Parthenia Teays Wilson Burgess, brother Homer Wilson Burgess and sister Mary Frances Burgess Bowen. He was survived by his wife, Jane Randal Burgess, son Bill and wife, Trish of St Simons Island, GA, two grandchildren Randy Burgess of Chicago, IL and Jim Burgess of Brunswick, GA. He was also survived by nephews Larry Bowen of St Albans, WV and James Davey of Albuquerque, NM and niece Mary Burgess of Atlanta, GA.

Arrangements under the direction of Culley's MeadowWood Funeral Home, Tallahassee, FL.