Roll Call Tribute

Lunn's Colonial Funeral Home obituary
2812 Midwestern Parkway,
Wichita Falls, TX 76308
Phone: (940) 692-1913

John Dale Burrus
September 9, 1943 - March 19, 2016

John Dale Burrus was born on September 9, 1943, in Houston, Texas, but he got to Wichita Falls just as soon as he could. He is preceded in death by his parents, Dr. “Cutter” Burrus and Jayn Dugger Burrus. He left this world on March 19, 2016. He leaves behind his wife of 51 years, Mary Jo Hoepfner Burrus, and four children, John Austin Burrus and his spouse, LeAnn Burrus, Jo Ann Reed and her husband, Dooby Fox, Jennifer Ann Burrus and her husband, R.J. Wolever, and James Austin Burrus. John Dale also leaves behind a sister, Barbara Jane Krege. In addition, he leaves behind six grandchildren, Jacob Lige Reed and his wife, Audrey Reed, Connie Jo Reed, Kaitlin Allison Nixon and her husband, Evan Nixon, James Blake Burrus, and his fiancé Jordan Aldaco, Dane Case, and RyLee Moran. He also leaves behind one great grandson, Augustus Lige Reed, as well as many, many friends.

He was never afraid of hard work and enjoying life. He started working at a very young age on the family ranch. He worked for Carnation, delivering milk while attending college and starting a new family. He graduated from milk to beer, working for Falls Distributing for over 30 years. Upon his retirement from Falls Distributing, he traded the beer business for cattle, continuing over 100 years of Burrus ranching heritage. While he spent his whole life working the ranch, he never considered himself a cowboy. Instead, he was a steward of the land that he loved.

While he attended both Texas A&M and Midwestern State University, he enjoyed watching his Aggies play football, baseball, and women’s basketball. He was also very proud to be a member of the Texas A&M Corps of Cadets. His volunteer work began at an early age, and he was a founding member of the Wichita West V.F.D. He was a co-founder and volunteered for many years on the Texas Ranch Roundup. He also enjoyed cooking ribs with The Mavericks. If someone, in fact anyone, needed help, John would drop everything he was doing to come to their aid. His most recent passion was cooking BBQ, and teaching his family and friends the points of cooking briskets, ribs and hams. In fact, he has hauled his cooker all over the United States, cooking for the Texas Cadets at West Point, the Wichita Falls Fire Department, and the Scottish Rite Hospital in Dallas. He also enjoyed cooking for the Aggie Muster every year.

If one thing can be said about John, it is that he was passionate about all things in life. He was a great husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, and friend. He loved his family and friends, and their love was returned to him. While not a religious man, his faith centered on helping others and setting life’s examples. He was hard headed, stubborn to a fault, quick tempered, ornery, protective of all that he loved, and had a great sense of humor, even though he told the worst jokes in the world. To his family, he was known as John, Dad, Grandpa or Compost. To his friends, he was known as Big John, Scooter, Bud or Bud Man. He enjoyed having a beer or glass of wine with friends, family and strangers. He will be missed in this world.

The family would like to invite all friends and family to join them in a celebration of John’s life. Please join us at 1 PM on Saturday, March 26th, at 2401 Barnett Road for BBQ, music and fellowship as we all remember Big John’s life. The family requests, that in lieu of flowers or gifts, that donations be made to the Wichita Falls Texas A&M scholarship fund on the day of the celebration.