Jack Burlingame

Jackie Lee Burlingame, 82, of Sedalia passed away Monday, June 1, 2020 at Bothwell Regional Health Center in Sedalia. He was born on March 7, 1938 in Sedalia, the son of James Harold and Dorothy Elmeta (Dietzman) Burlingame, who preceded him in death. On September 26, 1959 in Sedalia, he was united in marriage to Linda Sue Hefner, who resides of the home.

Jack held several jobs during his life, starting with: furniture mover and long haul truck driver, meat cutter at Roseland Meats and Hughesville Locker & Processing, Missouri Pacific Railroad as a Carmen/welder and ending his career at Waterloo Industries. But the job he loved the most was umpiring girl’s fast pitch softball and men’s slow pitch softball for the Sedalia Parks and Recreation department. After retirement he traveled with his brother Eddie on the carnival/fair circuit running his lemonade stand. If you knew Jack, you knew he was the biggest prankster and joke teller ever! One learned very quickly when he said “pull my finger” you would only fall for that trick once! He loved to fish and would go to Buffalo Cove and catch crappy and catfish all day long if you let him. Jack never met a stranger and would help anyone in need. Sometimes going without, so others had what they needed. Jack had a very special bond with his dogs and always had one sitting on his lap.

In addition to his wife, he is survived by two sisters, Betsy Bass (Raymond) of Lee’s Summit and Augusta Guth of Kansas City, KS; son, James Burlingame (Tracy) of Marshall, and daughter, Melynda Roberts of Newport News, VA; four grandchildren, Shawn Burlingame, Matthew Burlingame of Marshall, Jamie Butterfield of Sedalia, and Sara Mattingly of Newport News, VA; nine great-grandchildren and numerous close family and friends.

In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his brother, Eddie Burlingame of Kansas and Edna Schell of Sedalia, who helped raise him. A Celebration of Life gathering of family and friends will be held from 6:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. Wednesday, June 10, 2020 at Rea Funeral Chapel, Sedalia.