Raymond Douglas (Bud) Burris, Jr.
Bud Burris, 72, of Kansas City, Missouri passed away on January 28, 2015. Bud was born in Houston, Texas to Raymond Douglas and Florence McClure Burris. He is survived by his wife, Pamela Grisafe Burris, Kansas City, his son Douglas Burris and Doug’s family: Jerilynn and Bud’s grandchildren Jack, Emmy and Addy of Prairie Village, Kansas and sister Barbara Gatlin of Colorado City, CO. He will be greatly missed by his wife, family and friends.
RD Burris Jr was known by many names throughout his life. Bud, Buddy, Bog-Butt…But no matter his moniker, he was known to be a caring soul who placed his relationships with all at the pinnacle of his being. Bud’s career was centered on assisting people. His early career with Standard Oil and Travelers Insurance had him meeting and greeting strangers, who quickly became friends all over the state of Iowa. After migrating to Kansas City, Bud worked his way thru the ranks of Human Resources and Recruiting and launched his own talent search firm. Bud made life-long friends in his efforts to counsel and guide thousands in their career search. No matter the idiosyncrasies and personalities Bud came across, he was always a counselor and guide, looking upon each interaction not as a client or candidate exchange but a chat amongst friends. Bud’s third career chapter led him to what he believed was his calling. In Funeral Advocates, Bud assisted those in their hours of greatest vulnerability. Bud brought peace and comfort to families and quickly became one of their own. His genuine concern for others, his gift for lending a comforting ear and his sense for saying the right thing at the right time endeared Bud to all who knew him.
When we ask friends and family their fondest memories of Bud, the consistent theme in nearly all their stories has Bud enjoying the outdoors. Bud’s life passion was formed at an early age, tromping about in the Wahatoya Mountains, chasing trout and as legend will tell, bringing home more than his limit on a regular basis. Bud was happiest surrounded by friends and family, fly rod in hand or shotgun at the shoulder. Whether catching trout or Marlin, chasing pheasant and quail along the hedgerows, Whitetail, Elk and Antelope across the plains, Bud enjoyed most the camaraderie of the hunt and the tall tales told over the campfire with scotch in hand.
Above all, Bud adored his family. He was always Uncle Buddy and ready to tie a fly or a shoe for anyone young or old. Bud’s grandchildren Jack, Emmy and Addy brought him endless joy and laughter and many have said his son Doug did not fall far from the tree. Although they discovered they just could not share a roof, Bud and his first wife Mary Ann remained life-long friends. Bud married the love of his life, Pam 28 years ago and brought years of adventure and laughter to the end. He was a trusted confidant, a committed family man and a true friend to all who knew him.
In lieu of flowers, contributions to Catch A Dream Foundation is requested. www.catchadream.org Assistance by Funeral Advocates, LLC.
A visitation will be held for Bud on Tuesday, February 17, 2015 from 5:00-7:00 pm at Signature Funerals 8019 State Line Rd. KCMO 64114 816-214-5174
Pam, Bud was alway a pleasure to be with, weather at a nice resturant or on a camping trip. His interest in what others were doing and his input in their situations made him the center of any group. I will remember those experiences with Bud.
I will be out of town at a trade show next week, but Linda will be there to see you.
Your friend,
Larry
Dear Pam, I am so thankful I was privileged to have met and became friends with Bud. Riding with you on our horses was a treat, and working with Bud on my horse trailer was so much fun. Loved that he was always there to help any of us with our trailers. And he never minded adding my dinner to his grill. We made some wonderful memories. I will miss him terribly. Know that I am here if you need anything. Love to you, dear friend. Paula
Dear Pam, Buddy was the brother I never had. A brother to me and to Ricky. I’m sure they are together in heaven, causing all kind of trouble. Buddy was a giver. He counseled me wisely when I was looking for work; and he was a God-send when Rick passed. We had so much fun when we went on trips with the two of you, and I will never forget some of his comments in Germany. I can’t believe he’s passed. We were blessed to have him in our family. I can believe he’s passed.
Love, Margie
Pam,
The friendship Paul(“Chicken”) and I shared with you and Bud(“Turkey”) is one of the treasures of my life. I have such fond memories of many good times – dinners in some of the city’s best restaurants, Bud in his big fur coat when we took our grandchildren ice skating at Crown Center, exploring sights and sounds of K.C., and sharing meals in each other’s homes. Bud was one-of-a-kind, and will be greatly missed.
Pam – words cannot express the deep sadness in reading Bud’s obituary. The wonderful time of our first meeting at the trail riding campsite makes me smile….. remembering Bud’s demonstration of Maggie’s training! Please accept my sincere condolences and know you are in my thoughts! Let me know if there is anything I can do. Alece
It was always the greatest pleasure to be around Uncle Buddy. If heaven has a creek, full of trout, then Buddy, PaPa and Orville are surely having a great time. Until we meet again… Rock, Chalk! Lance & Tanya Gatlin
My Dear Pam,
Fate played its hand the day you and I bumped into each other back in 2000 with a horse bit! Through my friendship with you, I came to know your wonderful husband whom I fondly called “The Bud Man”.
I feel so lucky to have all the fun memories that were made over these last years. The trailer trips were some of the best! Never knew we would lose him this soon. He was such a kind man, and always willing to help each and every one of us out. Yes, I will miss him too.
One of my favorite quotes by Dr. Seuss is “Don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened”.
Forever grateful for that day…….
Love,
Wendy
Pam
I have thought of the years I spent with Buddy in on the Wahatoya. I am so sorry I did not have the last visit with him that I missed by a few days. I know you will miss him. We had great times and will be fondly remembered. I guess say he did slid that car of the road trying a new record to town.
Pam,
I tried to call you and guess I had the wrong number. I feel such a loss knowing and hearing of Buddy’s death. Sure leaves an empty spot in our lives. I will it up with all the zany, crazy things that Buddy and I shared. Thinking of you, Pam.
Pam and Family,
So very sorry to hear of your loss. Bud was a great friend and advisor to a lot of people. He was respected by all that met him and will be greatly missed. We are lucky to have known him. You could see laugher in his eyes when talking about his family and his and Pam’s adventures and/or accomplishments. He was a big teddy bear.