Robert Northcutt Burlingame

Dr. Robert Northcutt Burlingame, father, teacher and poet died Sunday, Sept. 25, 2011, following a short illness.
Dr. Burlingame was born to Ray and Esther Burlingame in Pratt, Kansas, and though he grew up in Wichita, he was always drawn to the Southwest. He received his Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts from the University of New Mexico, where he was a member of the Phi Kappa Phi honorary scholastic society. He received his Ph.D. from Brown University, where he focused his work on the essays and poetry of Marsden Hartley. Dr. Burlingame was a Fulbright Scholar and the recipient of the Pushcart Prize.
In 1954, he was recruited by C.L. Sonnichsen to teach at the University of Texas-El Paso (formerly known as Texas Western College). It was under Dr. Burlingame's leadership that the Department of English expanded its course offerings to include World Literature, Introduction to Poetry, Contemporary Poetry, Romantic Criticism and Russian Literature. Dr. Burlingame was an inspiring teacher, regarded and respected by his colleagues and students. Writing and teaching provided Dr. Burlingame the most satisfaction and although he retired from teaching in 1989, he continued to write and publish poetry until his final days.
Dr. Burlingame was a distinguished poet held in high regard in the literary field. A theme that runs central to all his poetry is a dignity, regard and understanding of the human condition. He was the author of the following books of poetry: "This Way We Walk," (1964), "Nine Poems," (1966), "Eighteen Poems," (1976) and most recently, "Some Recognition of the Joshua Lizard" (2009), a retrospective of his work over the past 50 years. He was working on one final book which will be a collection of poems on the desert landscape.
Since his retirement as Professor Emeritus of English, Dr. Burlingame and his wife Linda have lived in the shadows of El Capitan in the Guadalupe National Park. This setting gave him inspira-tion and peace in the last few years of his life and is where he created his final book, a tribute to the landscape he so loved.
Dr. Burlingame is survived by his wife, Linda, who enriched his life and encouraged his work in his years after leaving UTEP; and his former wife, Margaret, who supported his work through-out his earliest years. He will be remembered by his children: David Hartley, Randall Sanford, Ann Mary and Philip Haniel, who are grateful to have had such a remarkable man for their fa-ther, and their families: Ann Sutherland Burlingame, Kimberly Murray Burlingame and Frederick Joseph Diab, and grandchildren: Avry, Kyra and Ruby Burlingame and Maggie Diab.
The family will gather in remembrance at 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 1, at Daniels Family Funeral Home, 1100 Coal Ave., Albuquerque, N.M. 87106. In lieu of flowers, memorials can be made to the Guadalupe National Park and the University Library, University of Texas at El Paso. Online condolences may be made to the family at www.DanielsFuneral.com