Thomas Jackson Burres, BHS 1959

Thomas Jackson Burres, BHS 1959

The Sierra Madre News, March 22, 1984

Funeral services were held Wednesday, March 21, 1984, at 2 p.m. for Thomas J. Burres who would have been 43 years old March 20. Rev. Richard J. Anderson officiated at the service held at Sierra Madre Congregational Church. Interment was at Live Oak Memorial Park, Monrovia.

Mr. Burres died March 18, 1984 two days before his birthday, at Glendale Memorial Hospital in Glendale. He had suffered from cancer for 12 years.

He was born in Burbank and graduated from high school there. He was in the Forest Service for nearly 15 years and mapped out trails for the area from the northern end of the valley through San Gabriel Valley area. He also ran fire crews during major fire in this area.

He was responsible for a major effort to stabilize the local hillsides following the fire of 1978. The large yellow panels put in place to prevent a major mud slide during the rainy season are still visible from the downtown area.

In 1971 he came to Sierra Madre where he started his own electrical business and had been here since. He was with the Sierra Madre Volunteer Fire Department for 10 years.

He is survived by his father and mother, Bruce M. and Helen M. Burres of Burbank; a daughter, Sherryl Burres of Sierra Madre; a brother, Bob Burres of Cloverdale, and a sister, Marjorie Minns of Cottonwood, Alabama. A grandmother, Anna Jackson of Burbank, also survives. Douglas and Zook Mortuary were in charge of services.