Dear Burleson family,

Please accept my deepest condolences for your loss. My name is Eric Coleman, and I was Wayne's supervisor from 2011-2016. Wayne was a brilliant veterinarian. He was highly respected by his colleagues and foreign counterparts alike for his superior knowledge of international trade regulations. He had no equal. He was also a tough and savvy negotiator. But for all of his outstanding professional and technical abilities, he was an even better human being. I traveled extensively with Wayne across Europe and to Japan. I loved traveling with him. He was funny, witty, and meticulous in how he went about doing things. He was always there for me when I needed support in my decision making as director for export of animal products. But my fondest memory by far about Wayne that will always stay with me is the wonderful Christmas cookies he would bring me every year from you, Mrs. Burleson. It was one of the kindest gestures that anyone has ever made to me. I will always appreciate Wayne for that. I will always appreciate you, Mrs. Burleson, for your thoughtfulness and generosity every holiday season. Wayne will be sorely missed.

I'm so very sorry for your loss, I worked at a distance from Dr Burleson on export, in the USDA. His reputation for excellence in this area was well deserved.  Gone way too soon.  Please accept my deepest sympathies and condolences.

My sincerest condolences to the family. Wayne was my colleague for many years until my retirement; we worked together frequently. I am proud to say that I learned a lot from him, even though he was younger. He gave a lot of himself, working 12 hour days frequently, always stellar in his work ethic and his professionalism. Like many have expressed, Wayne was truly a fine USDA APHIS employee.

I worked with Wayne for nearly 20 years and found him to be one of the most knowledgeable, thoughtful, and helpful colleagues of my career. He always went out of his way to brainstorm solutions to complex problems and provide assistance wherever possible. He was kind, generous, and supportive, and put so much care into his work. I am very sorry to see that he has left us already. We will all miss him greatly.

I've only worked with Wayne for the past few years, but it didn't take long to recognize he was a FORCE to be reckoned with.  He was a WEALTH of knowledge and he showed up to work as his authentic and passionate self, day in and day out. He made all of our staff meetings interesting, and you never left the meeting having NOT learned something new. No matter what was going on--If you reached out to Wayne with a question/problem, he always took the time to walk you through potential solutions (while teaching you past and current facts about said question/problem). He was a strong advocate, and he "stood on business" as the kids would say. We are definitely going to miss him and hearing his wisdom and his answers to our icebreaker questions.  (I always appreciated that we both loved the Marvel superhero Phoenix.) May he rest in peace. Prayers and condolences to his friends and family.

I am so incredibly sorry to hear about Wayne's passing!! Such a shock to hear. I worked with him on several import export trainings and loved that he brought his mom's delicious cookies to each training we had in Riverdale. He was so knowledgeable and nice and will be greatly missed. My most sincere condolences to your family during this especially poignant time.

Alicia Love

I was so saddened to hear of Wayne’s passing. I worked with him on the trade staff for several years. His technical knowledge was unparalleled! I was lucky enough to travel with him once and he was so generous in sharing his expertise and guidance. He will be missed!
My condolences,
Sarah Speth

My condolences on your family's loss. Dr. Burleson will be missed by so many. He was a remarkable force and wealth of knowledge in his role at APHIS, where I interacted with him over the past few years. His deep grasp of the history on complex issues and ability to navigate productive ways forward was a tremendous benefit to American agriculture.

Wayne was a trusted and respected work colleague, his determination to do right, and very strong work ethic, an exemplar to us all. Based in the UK and Ireland with USDA, I have had had the pleasure of hosting Wayne on several business trips over the years where he met with government counterparts. His detailed knowledge in technically complex areas, solution finding approach, down to earth attitude, and diplomacy, served USDA and our stakeholders proud. In the interim, Wayne has been a great support to me, providing advice and counsel, as well as posing probing questions, and responding at all hours of the day and night. His ability to remember details long forgotten by others and see over the horizon and pre-empt problems with solutions are skills I would be proud to emulate. Finally, on those occasions when we put work to one side, his love of science fiction and fantasy did not go unnoticed. I know I am not alone in considering myself so fortunate to have known him. Please accept my condolences.

I met Wayne in 2016 when I was first hired onto the Export Products team.  As many on here have written - Wayne was one-of-a-kind and unapologetically himself, a phenomenal quality in this age.  No conversation with him was ever dull and it was inspiring to watch and listen to him in any kind of negotiation.  He was truly an invaluable mentor to me and his magnitude for kind gestures will never be forgotten.  Although our paths didn't cross as much after my leaving the Export team, his "Wayne-isms" will forever stay with me.  You will be truly missed Wayne.

I am still in shock! I was on staff when Wayne started with Imports. His talents were quickly recognized and he moved over to Exports. There, he became an expert negotiator, traveller,  EU Reg interpreter, and email composer! He was immensely helpful to me when we traveled to Japan. I watched him in his element, “the zone” as it was called. It was quite obvious that he was well respected and liked by international stakeholders as well as domestic.  He will be greatly missed.  And the delicious Christmas cookies that his mother would make were enjoyed by everyone.  He even gave me the recipe to one of my favorites. His unexpected transition saddens me. Rest in Peace Wayne.

I am still in a bit of shock with the passing of Wayne.  I started with the export products staff in 2012.  He and I were the only two staff members left from that time, as some have retired or moved on to other positions.  He was very kind, would assist me at any time, had a great memory, a vast knowledge, and I have never met anyone that cared more for agriculture and trade than Wayne.  He always wanted to make sure export products got it right and would state the possible repercussions if we did not.  He fought for what he believed in, no matter how long it took.  I admired that so in him.  
Wayne had a big heart.  When he traveled, he would bring me back a little trinket or chocolate.  For years he would bring tins and tins of his mother's beautiful and yummy cookies for Christmas for the staff.  I'm sure employees from other staffs grabbed a few.  There were so many, that I would take some home to share with my family, and they loved them.  When I told my mother of Wayne's passing, she remembered his mother's cookies.  
I will miss Wayne.  I have been thinking about him and his family day and night.  Bless you Wayne and the Burleson family and friends.

I worked with Dr. Burleson while working as the VS web content manager for many years.  He was always kind and compassionate about his work.  Even though I have been gone for over a decade, I still felt compelled to say how much I appreciated working with him.  Thank you for the memories and may your memory continue to be a blessing to all you touched.  Please accept my sincere condolences to the family and many friends and colleagues.

Wayne was a true mentor to me when I first started.  His guidance provided me a foundation that was not taught in any classroom.  It is he who ignited my passion for trade negotiations and international work.  He truly was a Master Jedi in that realm with many of us proud to be his padawans.  You are missed Wayne.

Dear Burleson family’s members, Dear Wayne,
What a tragedy and terrible loss!! Allow me please to express my most sincere condolences to all of you for the loss of Wayne. I met Wayne for the first time in August 2004 in Brussels (Belgium) and have worked with him daily since that time for almost 20 years. We have travelled together in the entire European Union for meetings with Member States government representatives. I never had a dull day with Wayne!! Wayne was very special and brilliant. He was an exceptional man with an atypical sense of humor. I recall he came once at home to meet my three young kids (6/8/10) that he had nearly spoiled with his yearly gifts (Convert shoes) when travelling to Brussels and when commenting his passing away yesterday with my boys, they said they remembered him as being the SANTA CLAUS’ APHIS colleague. I will for sure keep very good memories of this exceptional man. May Wayne’s soul rest in peace.

A brilliant mind and and a big heart. Very sad to hear the news. My condolences to the family. He will be missed!

I extend my heartfelt condolences on the sudden passing of dear "Wayne". Over the past several years, during the annual U.S.-Japan Animal Quarantine Discussions, we exchanged views as livestock health officials of our respective countries. Japan consistently faced challenges due to his veterinarian expertise and logical arguments. 
In tough negotiations, he calmly closed his eyes, chose his words carefully, and spoke accurately. I vividly remember his attitude. He was a formidable rival, but he was also a reliable colleague. I sincerely applaud his achievements and mourn his untimely departure.
ありがとう、ウェイン。

Wayne's expertise and professionalism were widely respected. He will be missed.

My fondest memory of Wayne is from when I was as a fairly new diplomat in Brussels.  He was always with a great sense of humor even after those long flights from D.C. that were soon remedied by a hotel near a McDonald’s and diet coke. Wayne (unknowingly) was one of my early mentors. He taught me the art of negotiations based in the “what if” and the “it depends” school of thought. He taught me that when things were not going as expected to reapproach and adjust expectations in a firm, yet friendly way.  
My deepest condolences to his loved ones. He will be sorely missed by our community.

My goodness, what to say? In this line of work, being overseas with APHIS and moving from place to place, our families, our everything. We rely so very much on the support, guidance, and kindness of those back home, whatever the staff may be. To help us course correct in the unsettled sea of trade. I can say that there is no better navigator than Thomas Wayne Burleson, you only call Wayne, Thomas once by the way. Sadly, after leaving Brussels 8 years ago, I did not have the chance to work with Wayne again. 

He was like a warm cup of chamomile, his emails were the stuff of legend, precious well-crafted recipes for success, or at least anxiety reducing when faced with the most complex of trade issues. His direction and no-nonsense analysis were something you would refer to over and over again. 

One time in Brussels, at lunch, I had to order the steak tartare. We had just finished a marathon discussion with SANCO on the fabled topic of Animal By-Products, affectionally known as ABP. I also wanted to see Wayne’s reaction, particularly when cracking the raw egg over the raw meat. After doing so, he simply said, “I hope you enjoy your pre-meatloaf. 

Wayne had his own language and for the select few that he invited into his linguistic realm, it was an empowering language a powerful linguistic judo. Who else could make UCO (used cooking oil) sound so cerebral. 
Safe travels Wayne, of easy wind and downy flake………….

I have learnt so much from Wayne over the years. I cannot believe he is no longer with us.   He was all the time there whenever I needed advice  even when he was no longer covering our portfolio.  He was so kind and humble responding to all my questions.   I used to ask him if there is a way to clone him.  Wayne, you will be missed.  
All my thoughts and prayers are with his family during this difficult time.

I made my first international trips with Wayne. Like a mother hen, he always kept an eye on everyone who traveled with him and made sure they were ok. He could always be counted on to give complete and accurate information on any topic up for discussion. There is no one in the APHIS trade staff family who is untouched by his passing.

My condolences to the Burleson family. I was Wayne supervisor at USDA, APHIS, Veterinary Services, Import/Export Animal Products from the time Wayne arrived at USDA, Riverdale, MD  until I retired in 2015.  Wayne was a professional  & dedicated employee who could always be depended on... no matter what time or day. Wayne will truly be missed. He was a great asset to Veterinary Services. Rest in Peace Wayne❤️🌹

My condolences to his mom and the rest of the family. Everyone dreaded going over to work with the export team - many moons ago - I got there and as usual, all barks were just that - soft underbellies; Dr. Burleson had the sharpest, humorous wit that matched mine, which most didn't understand and appreciated! We got along very well. Always brought back a gift from travels and his gifts were personal - huge glass container with his mother's finest Christmas cookies! My kids had a ball! SIP Dr. B...

Wayne was brilliant, that was clear from the moment you first met him. He was a passionate advocate for US agriculture and, more importantly, a friend. His loss will be felt by many immediately and many more with time. Over the past two decades we spent hundreds of hours discussing, planning, and strategizing what was to come. This was one contingency we didn’t plan for. Miss you already Wayne!

I was so very sad to hear of Wayne's passing. He was a kind, funny and reliable friend and colleague the loss of whom will be felt for many years to come. I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to learn from him and his unparalleled wealth of knowledge. My sincerest condolences go out to his mother, sister and nephew as well as countless colleagues and friends at this difficult time.

I met Wayne in Buenos Aires about 6 years ago. He was the best in keeping us on track during negotiations, being factual, no one knew the topics better that him. There's a big group in the agency that learned a lot from him. His dedication was always appreciated.

My deepest condolences to his family and friends - he's in our hearts forever.

I never thought I would see Wayne-san again, who sends me long, long emails with no line breaks, who loves Coke Zero more than coffee or tea, and who orders bacon cheeseburgers with no onions or mayonnaise!

Wayne’s knowledge about his chosen area of expertise-animal products-was encyclopedic.  In all the years I had the pleasure of working with him, I never saw him not know the answer in a negotiation.   Not infrequently, he was aware of a nuance of another country’s regulations about which that country’s representatives were themselves unaware.   A stalwart representative of America’s interests, he was also funny and kind.  And his chocolate chip cookies were wonderful.  

Please accept my condolences for your loss.

The former writer's group at APHIS worked closely with Wayne. Please accept our condolences.

My condolences to the family 💐Dr. Berleson was the very first VMO I had the pleasure to work with. Very nice guy🩷 He will be missed by all his colleagues at USDA.

Wayne was passionately ethical, attentive, thoughtful, and dedicated to excellence with a kind soul.  His passing is truly a loss, and his presence will be missed by so many.  Thank you, Wayne, for sharing that knowledge and excellence with me in the short time that I knew you.  May you rest in peace.

Please accept my sincerest condolences for your loss, my thoughts and prayers are with you during this difficult time.

I worked with this cool guy and thought he was funny, clever and good-natured.  He made me chuckle a lot.  Godspeed, old friend.  —Tom Cramer

I will never forget Dr. Burleson. I was an assistant of his from 2008 to 2012. He was the most kindest and smartest man I've ever known. He will be missed dearly.

My condolences to his loved ones. My prayers are with you during your time of bereavement.

Very sad news indeed; I worked with Dr. Burleson at USDA, he was a great person to work with, a wonderful sense of humor!   He will be missed.  All of my sympathies to his family and friends - Sue Collins, USDA

Carolyn

So sorry for the loss of your son.

You are in my thoughts and prayers.

Carol Campbell 
Mental Health America of Fredericksburg
Senior Visitors

OBITUARY

Thomas Wayne Burleson Jr.

May 1, 1969 – November 19, 2023

Mullins & Thompson Funeral Service

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