Jeremiah Burridge

Jeremiah Gregory Burridge, son of Alice K. and G.O. Burridge passed away at his home on July 21, 2017. He died gracefully and continued to smile even as his health deteriorated. He loved God, his family and his friends and all were a constant in his life and in his death. Jeremiah was born Oct. 3, 1929 in Butte, Montana as the fifth of thirteen children. The family moved to Casper shortly thereafter where the rest of the children were born. Although that was a time of great difficulty and hardships for many people including the Burridges, he was never hesitant to share a multitude of stories about the hard work as well as the fun times and love that he shared with his brothers and sisters and many lifelong friends. ‘Jerry' attended schools in Casper, graduating from NCHS in 1949 and enlisted in the US Air Force where he served for four years and took great pride in serving his country and being a Korean War veteran. Upon leaving the military, Jerry returned to Casper and immediately found work as a mail carrier. His background and compassion led him to aspire to make a difference in young people's lives so he entered Casper College then went on to graduate from the University of Wyoming in 1959. His first teaching job was in Thermopolis where he found great love and satisfaction teaching and coaching at the junior high level. He spent five years in Thermopolis then moved on to spend another twelve years at Lander Junior High. He moved back ‘home' to Casper, ultimately continuing his teaching career at Roosevelt High School and coaching at Kelly Walsh, retiring in 1996. He was proud to serve and connect with young people that attended school in his old North Casper stomping grounds. He considered himself lucky to spend his time with kids every day and was often known to sing with joy as he walked the hallways. Another avenue he saw as a way to connect with kids was through officiating. He believed that life lessons were often learned on the basketball court and a good referee could provide opportunities to teach respect and integrity. His passion for watching young people participate in sports extended well beyond the great joy that he found in watching his grandchildren and he could often be found at football games, at the state basketball tournament and in the press box at the state track meet where as the official announcer for nearly 40 years, he was known to start each day with "It's a beautiful day in Natrona County" - rain or shine! He was always involved in community activities such as Kiwanis, Lions, both Casper College and UW Alumni organizations, VFW, the Cowboy Joe Club, and a multitude of other boards and organizations. He received many recognitions and awards throughout his life for his dedicated service to his country and his community. Jeremiah met and married Mary Anne Snyder while attending Casper College. Together they raised four children and even though they eventually divorced, they continued to share a deep friendship until the time of his death. Sorrow came as it does to most, with the death of his parents, his brothers, Dean, Jack, Gene T. (Jiggs), Larry Pat, and Donald and his sisters Maricolleen and Evelyn. Jeremiah had an endless network of friends. It seemed to never matter where he traveled, there was always someone he knew and he leaves behind many beloved friends. He is survived by his son, Tim and his wife Lisa and their children Shawn and Erin. He is also survived by his daughter Colleen, her husband Gene and their children Kendsey (A.J. Huffer, Anastasia and Zamain), Kaitlin Rayne, Kris (Kayden and Ryot), and Keaton. He is survived by his daughter Lisa Kay and her sons Jordan, Spencer and Dominic Jahr. He is also survived by his youngest son, Joe Burridge. He will also be missed by his sisters Sarah Conrad and Kathryn Suzanne Burridge Arnoldi and his brothers Tom, James L., and Mike. Funeral services will be held at 10:00 a.m. at St. Patrick's Catholic Church on Saturday, July 29, 2017. A Celebration of Life will be held immediately following the Mass. Interment will take place at a later date at the Oregon Trail Veteran's cemetery. In lieu of flowers, donations to the St. Joseph's Children's Home in Torrington would be appreciated as Jeremiah greatly respected the work that is done for children who need love and support (stjoseph-wy.org). Additionally, you could honor him by offering kindness to a stranger, reaching out to a child that needs a helping hand or just throwing out an extra cheer for the Wyoming Cowboys! Charitable donations may be made to: St. Josephs Children's Home 1419 Main St., Torrington WY 82240 Tel: 1-307-532-4197 Web: http://stjoseph-wy.org

Service

Saturday, July 29, 2017 10:00am

St. Patrick's Catholic Church

400 Country Club Road

Casper, WY 82609