Edward Burris

BURRIS, Edward E.

Edward E. Burris, age 98, passed away peacefully in his home on January 21, 2024. The son of Henry and Hattie Burris, Edward was born in December of 1925. His early life was spent on a farm with his parents but during the Great Depression he was sent to live with his aunt and uncle in Kansas City, Missouri. There he received his education and met all the loves of his life; his future wife, photography, and Studebakers. Kansas City provided Edward with many opportunities and experiences. As a youth, he was very active in church, joined the Civil Air Patrol, played in the school band, and found joy in photography. He was made a Deacon at his church when he was 17. At 21, he joined the Masonic Fraternity, later becoming a member of the Knight Templars, The Royal Arch, and the Cryptic Masons. He attributes his public speaking skills to his time spent holding an office in his lodge. While Edward attended University of Kansas at Lawrence, his aunt and uncle enlisted, leaving him with a household to manage. The war brought industry to Kansas City and Edward became an inspector in a munitions factory. His attention to detail landed him a job at a prominent film production company, the Calvin Company. He helped produce commercials and training films and learned much in the large processing and printing labs. By 1948 Edward began to take interest in other things; his future wife and Studebakers. Myrtle Whyte was his assistant at the Calvin Company and they married in December of 1951. They both enjoyed the stylings of the Studebaker brand, traveling frequently and trading up to the next model every couple of years. Edward was inducted into the army in 1952 and served in the Signal Corps. He was responsible for the first wirephoto transfer sent from Okinawa. He traveled with high ranking officials in Special Services, and was responsible for the commanding generals' photography documenting visits and tours. In addition to his assignments, Edward also created picture stories for the American Petroleum Institute, his island photos appeared in the AP newspapers, and Life magazine published his photos of the movie The Teahouse of the August Moon. Upon return from Okinawa in 1955, Edward and Myrtle moved to Atlanta, GA, where they took management jobs at Beeland Motion Picture Company and started a family. He later went to work at Lockheed as an administrative assistant to the department manager. Later, the Centers For Disease Control (CDC) took an interest in his work. He enjoyed his work at the CDC, training and teaching professionals and picked up an Honorary PhD in Biomedical Communication from Tulane University for his work. During the restructuring of the programs at the CDC, Edwards' job function was transferred to the National Library of Medicine in Bethesda, Maryland. He became the acting Media Resources Officer for the National Institute of Health, working directly under the Surgeon General and with Johns Hopkins University. Edward frequently consulted for the Smithsonian Institute and often performed camera repairs for prominent figures in Washington D.C. By the time he retired in 1986, Edward had traveled 50,000 miles a year, commuting to Atlanta to see his family. Upon retirement, Edward did not stop being involved in motion picture production or Studebakers. He worked on the sets of several movies for CBS and NBC, offering technical advice, taking roles as an extra, and allowing for the use of his Studebakers in scenes. Edward's role in the Studebaker Drivers Club is known nationwide, as well as his love for speed. It was not uncommon for other drivers to be passed on the road by Edward and his 1964 Avanti, moving at a "good clip". In his lifetime, he owned a '49 Champion, '51 Commander, '56 SkyHawk, '63 Cruiser, and the '64 Avanti. He joined the Studebaker Drivers Club (SDC) national and North Georgia Chapter in 1968, later joining the Southeast Chapter in 2003. Edward was the Southeast Zone Coordinator 1998-2000, and became the Southeast Zone National Director in 2000, keeping the position until 2014. The Studebaker Drivers Club has been his second family. He enjoyed bee-keeping and held an office with the Metro Atlanta Beekeeping Association, small engines, anything to do with photography and motion pictures, acted as secretary and later chairman of the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers, and was an honorary member of the Georgia Engineering Society. A lifelong member of the American Motorcycle Association, he rode his Honda GL1000 into his 80's. He always had multiple projects going and was a very active member in the church, the Billy Graham Crusades, and was a certified lay speaker. Edward lived a very full life and was a devoted husband, father and grandfather. He will be missed by his children: Clifford Burris, Steven Burris, and Regina Ward (Derek); and grandchildren: Zach (Jessica) and Jonathon Bolton, Eliza, Trudy, and Calvin Ward; as well as his ever faithful companion, Molly-Dog. Edward was preceded in death in 2008 by his wife, Myrtle W. Burris. A funeral will be held on January 29, 2024 at Roswell Funeral Home, 950 Mansell Road, Roswell, Georgia. The family will receive visitors at 1:00 and the service will begin at 2:00.