Funeral homes often submit obituaries as a service to the families they are assisting. However, we will be happy to accept obituaries from family members pending proper verification of the death.
John C. Burgess, age 74, of The Dalles, Ore., passed peacefully away on Jan. 29, 2018, in New Orleans, La., after a lengthy illness. His wife, Jan Villarrubia, was by his side. John was born in New Orleans to John T. and M. Carla (Dodd) Burgess. He was a graduate of Tulane University, where he earned his degree in electrical engineering. John served as an officer in the United States Navy and was active in the USS Waldron Alumni Association.
John worked as an electrical engineer for his entire career, starting in Los Angeles, Calif., then Bossier Electric (Shreveport, La.), and in Oregon for Midstate Electric Cooperative (La Pine) and Wasco Electric Cooperative (The Dalles).
Besides being a devoted parent to two daughters from his first marriage to Louise M. Zeringue, his life-long interests included hiking and camping, nature, architecture, trains and streetcars, Model A Fords, movie palaces and pipe organs.
In addition to his wife Jan Villarrubia, he is survived by his two daughters, Louise-Annette Burgess (and spouse Michael Conrad) and Melissa Burgess (and spouse Adam Halpern) and his three beloved grandchildren, Emma, Talia, and Noam.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Orange Empire Railway Museum, oerm.org or Mercy Corps, mercycorps.org; both are 501c3 organizations.
