Richard Burris RIP

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Marie LaFreniere
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Joined: Sat Feb 05, 2005 1:15 pm
Location: Beaver Island

Richard Burris RIP

Post by Marie LaFreniere »

It's with heavy heart that I say Dick left this earth a short while ago. My heart goes out to Amy, Derrick and the rest of the Burris family.

More information will be posted as it becomes available.
BI Pirate
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Joined: Sat Apr 04, 2009 1:41 pm
Location: Whiskey Island

Post by BI Pirate »

Dick was one of a kind, they don't come more unique than he. The first time you met him, you knew you had a friend for life and one you could depend on for anything. Dick never met a stranger. He always had that smile with the twinkle in his eye that made you wonder what he was thinking. I'll miss the trips to the outer islands, old ship wrecks and talking about his adventures to Cuba. I hope heaven has an unlimited supply of cement blocks as light as cotton, deep water for exploring and a diving tank of compressed air that never runs low. No one ever worked harder or played harder than Dick.
My heart goes out to Amy and family.
Sail on my mate of mates. I hope I can be half the pirate. :cry: :cry: :cry:
Skull&CrossBones
Bump
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Post by Bump »

:arrow:
islandliving
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Location: Beaver Island, Michigan

Post by islandliving »

Rest In Peace my good friend

John McCafferty
Jimmy McCafferty
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Post by Jimmy McCafferty »

Descansoes para siempre, mi compadre. Tu eres in a lugar mucho major de aqui
Ron Wojan
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Location: Beaver Island
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Post by Ron Wojan »

Dick was such a good friend and such an asset to my business and all other builders on Beaver Island. Even in the worst of times ,he was the positive one . Always moving forward with a smile and a laugh or two. After his garage burned , I tried to give him a check to replace the garage door or replace a tool or two. He wouldnâ??t take it until I convinced him that I wouldn't have made it without him. And thatâ??s the truth. I was having trouble getting a job done on time so he helped me on Sundays for free. What a great person. I can honestly say Iâ??ve never met a more generous person, in my entire life. God speed Dick to what ever the good Lord has planned for you next. You have a 1st class ticket to your life hereafter. We will never forget you. God bless you too Amy. We love you.
Ronald L. Wojan
Marie LaFreniere
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Joined: Sat Feb 05, 2005 1:15 pm
Location: Beaver Island

Post by Marie LaFreniere »

Dick Burris -- In Memoriam

The island says goodbye this week to one of itâ??s most beloved members, Dick Burris. A fixture on
Beaver since moving there in 1973, Dick seemed to live more in one life than most people could in
several. A legendary bricklayer, stonemason, and concrete wizard, his beautiful craftsmanship can be
seen in dozens of homes, fireplaces, grottos, benches and other structures around the island; as well as
throughout his hometown of Lapeer, MI, where he was born on March 27, 1929, growing up on a
farm. He later served in the US Army at the age of 27, when he was already married with four kids.

Dick was also a veteran diver who explored shipwrecks and reefs around the Beaver Island archipelago
and much further away as part of his many travels to the Caribbean islands, Cuba, Mexico, Central
America, and South America. He could tell you the location and history of every wreck around
northern Lake Michigan and beyond as if it were written on the back of his burly hand. He attacked
life, work, and adventure with equal passion; and as many of his friends remember, shared his skills,
knowledge, wisdom and stories with great generosity. He gave a lot of people a hand up in their trade
when they were coming up the ladder, and was a friend and mentor to so very many. Dick donated his
time and expertise to countless projects and organizations around the island over the decades, always
giving, always available when needed.

He was rarely if ever seen without a smile. When asked how he kept one on his face so often, he said â??My smile comes from a constant loop of good memories running through my mind.â?￾ His body was
as strong as his spirit, with him still laying stone and pouring concrete at the age of 87. Some may
remember a photo of him carrying a cement mixer on his shoulder at a job site, a testament to the stuff
he was made of. Time and the wear and tear of the masonry business may have bent his posture some,
but no one could deny how tall he walked as a man and human being.

This remembrance canâ??t begin to encompass all that Dick was and did in his long life. Everyone that
knew him has a story or several about him, unique to the way he touched them with his character, his
sense of humor, and the way he lived his life. He never stopped eating up life with the appetite of a
man who couldnâ??t get enough of it, a dynamo that it seemed would never slow down. About the
prospect of retiring, he once said, â??Youâ??ll read my retirement notice in the obituaries.â?￾

Dick Burris was father to Jean Ann, Arnold, Susie, Roger, Danny, Sandra, Sherry, and Galen, and
many grandchildren and great-grandchildren. He leaves behind his wife Amy, who worked, loved,
lived, and laughed alongside him every step of the way over nearly two decades together. A memorial and celebration of Dickâ??s life will be held on Saturday, March 10, 11 am, at Holy Cross Catholic Church on Beaver Island. Memorial contributions can be made to the Beaver Island Hospice in memory of Dick.

And finally, a little poem in honor of our dear friend...

The things you built will never fall --
with stones and brick and concrete, all.
You dove great depths in exploration
of historyâ??s ships and Godâ??s creation.

You built a life with grit and song.
Your smile was as bright as your hands were strong.
You ran toward adventure, straight and true,
from the shores of Cuba to the peaks of Peru.

You gave of yourself to all that needed,
and many learned from your wisdom, when heeded
You lived a long life, but never got old.
When they cast you, Dick, they broke the mold.

~ Robert Cole
chez bayardee
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Joined: Mon Apr 25, 2005 7:34 pm
Location: mad dog town

Post by chez bayardee »

A great tribute to a great guy.
one hand washes the other...and both hands wash the face----ed norton
lindawearn@gmail.com
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Post by lindawearn@gmail.com »

Another example of Dick doing something special for someone--a few years ago I mentioned to him that I was going to Mongolia with Habit for Humanity for a build. One of my jobs was going to be mixing concrete and laying brick. He invited me out to one of his job sites and "showed me a few of the ropes". Dick and Amy were patient with me and we had a lot of laughs as I "worked" with them. I still have the gloves Amy gave me to move the concrete blocks around. I'll always remember that special time and special man.

Linda Wearn
denolte
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Joined: Sat Mar 10, 2018 3:59 pm
Location: Grand Rapids

Dick Durris

Post by denolte »

Even though I'm a mainlander and have only known Dick and Amy for about the last 7 years I sat here with tears in my eyes watching the funeral knowing Dick is gone. He built my cottage footings & foundation, crawl space walls and screened porch stone wall. He loaned me his generator when I needed one during early construction, he gave me advice on various aspects of building and life. I was fortunate enough to drink a beer or two with him at the local tavern listening to various stories of his early life growing up in Lapeer, his father, past jobs and diving excursions both in & around Lake Michigan and in Central and South America. But one of the best stories was that of building a "steam engine" from an old "gas car engine"; never did quite understand how he came up with that one!!! I will miss him and his regular emails to me greatly. Sadly Beaver Island and the rest of the world has lost a great man but he will forever be in our memories.

Don Nolte
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