~ IN MEMORY ~
USAF veteran, WA/DL Capt. Jerald Clay
Burgess
November 26, 1945 ~ August 18, 2023
Notice with the passing of retired Western Airlines/Delta
Air Lines captain and Air Force Lieutenant Colonel Jerald Clay Burgess, age 77. Captain Burgess joined Western Airlines
05-02-1977 and retired with Delta Air Lines, based 030/LAX. He is survived by his wife Jan, and by their
son Jordan and granddaughter Kamryn.
Condolences may be sent to the family at
1709 Morning Dove Lane
Redlands, CA 92373
These news links offer obituary information….please
see below.
Thank you,
~ Carol for the PCN
Delta
Air Lines captain and Air Force lieutenant colonel served as
president of Friends of A.K. Smiley Public
Library
Obit……………………………….
Jerald Clay Burgess of Redlands, a U.S. Air
Force veteran who
fought in Vietnam and operations Desert
Shield and Desert Storm,
died after a long illness on Aug. 18, 2023.
He was 77.
The son of Guy and Joyce Burgess, he was
born on Nov. 26, 1945, in
Portland, Oregon. He grew up in McMinnville,
Oregon, and
graduated from Oregon State University with
a bachelor’s degree
in business and was a member of the Acacia
Fraternity. He received
an MBA from Southern Illinois University.
In 1968 he enlisted in the U.S. Air Force,
and after graduating from
pilot training he flew C-123s in South
Vietnam.
After a successful tour, he was assigned to
the C-141 at Norton Air Force Base where he advanced from
Instructor Pilot and Flight Examiner to
become the head of Squadron Standardization. He received
numerous commendations including the Air
Medal with Second Oak Leaf Cluster and the Air Force
Commendation Medal.
In 1977 he transferred to the reserves and
was briefly returned to active duty in 1990-91 during the Iraqi
conflict to serve in the Desert Shield and
Desert Storm Storm operations.
He valued this service highly and attained
the rank of Lieutenant Colonel before retiring in 1997.
He flew for Western Airlines and Delta Air
Lines, retiring as a B-767 Captain after 28 years. Flying
internationally and interacting with the
crew brought him immense joy. He was always concerned for the
safety of the crew and passengers.
In the early 1980s he met his wife, Jan.
They were married in November 1986 and settled in Redlands.
Their son, Jordan, arrived in 1988. Jerry
was especially proud of replanting an orange grove that had been
original to the property where they lived.
A longtime volunteer with the Friends of the
A.K. Smiley Library, while serving as President, he revitalized
the Literacy Program. He was a member and
past President of the Knights of the Round Table and served
as Flight Captain for the Order of the
Daedalians at March Air Reserve Base.
He was an active member of Trinity
Evangelical Church and served on the Redlands Christian School
Board.
Affectionally known as "Big Kid"
and "JerBear", he will be missed for this easygoing personality,
always
offering a helping hand and meeting people
with a smile. Jerry loved playing golf, tennis, travel, solving
sudokus, reading, and listening to a wide
genre of music.
He is survived by his wife Jan; son Jordan
(Blythe) Burgess; granddaughter Kamryn; sister Connie (Jim)
Holland; and brother Clark (Val) Burgess. He
was also a special "Papa" to Josephine and Julia Heede.
A local service at Trinity Evangelical
Church is pending. Inurnment at Arlington National Cemetery in
Arlington, Virginia is also pending.
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