Gene Riley Burleson

Gene Riley Burleson, beloved husband of Dabney Jane Hibbert Burleson, passed away on Friday, October 25, 2019. In addition to his wife, he is survived by his brothers Jack, Gary, and Gale and their wives, Sarah, Nancy, and Ann as well as by many aunts, uncles, nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his father and mother, Troyce William and Lilly Virginia Burleson, as well as by two brothers and a sister, all of whom died in childhood. Gene was born on June 13, 1946 in Winchester, Virginia. He served proudly in the U.S. Navy from July, 1964 through October, 1968 on the destroyer, USS DeHaven. Based out of Yokosuka, Japan, the ship spent many months on the gun lines of the Macon Delta, protecting ground operations during the Vietnam War. Gene was awarded the Vietnam Campaign Medal and four Vietnam service medals. He returned home to study computer telecommunications and lived in McLean, Virginia. He served as a Computer Telecommunications Specialist Program Manager while working for several U.S. Government departments, including the Customs Service of the Treasury Department, the Naval Ship Research and Development Center, and the Naval Sea Systems Command in the Washington Navy Yard (supporting nuclear submarines). After retiring from Government in June, 2002, he joined EDS (later Hewlett Packard) working at the Navy Yard in Washington DC, retiring in 2005. Gene and Dabney married in October, 1993 and lived in Bethesda, Maryland until moving to Virginia in 2010. In 2014, they built their home in Glenmore in Keswick outside of Charlottesville. Active members of Glenmore Country Club, they enjoyed many activities as well as touring local museums and historic locales. Before and after retiring he supported his wife in her antiques business, Ivy Hill Antiques. They specialized in both English and French antique furniture, ceramics, paintings and lighting, showing at many antique shows in Maryland, Northern Virginia, the Eastern shore and Delaware. They have antique spaces in Middleburg, Virginia and Ruckersville, Virginia. His expertise in woodworking and electrical rewiring was essential to their success. They also enjoyed spending time at their beach house in Ocean View, Delaware. They enjoyed cruises to Alaska, the Mediterranean, England, Scotland, and Ireland as well as driving throughout New England and Canada and touring many national parks on both the East and West coasts. A memorial service will be held at 1:00 Saturday, November 9, 2019, at Teague Funeral Home 2250 Ivy Rd, Charlottesville. Memorial contributions in his name may be made to the Wounded Warrior Project (woundedwarriorproject.org) or the Independence Fund (independencefund.org).