Marcie Burrus

1956 - 2025

Marcie loved everything about fall: the weather, rain, leaves, acorns, pumpkins, foggy mornings, the way the light shines--all of it. Her only complaint was the length of her favorite season. "Whenever I get to wherever I'm going," she had recently said, "I'm going to tell them that fall doesn't last long enough."

Marcie loved fall and all of God's creation. She was in such a hurry to join the world that she was nearly born on the family's kitchen floor. Luckily, her parents, Martin and Barbara Burrus, made it to the hospital in Albany in time to welcome her on February 15, 1956.

The only daughter in the family, Marcie grew up playing sports and enjoying the outdoors. She graduated from Crescent Valley High School in 1974, where she played the flute in the band and joined the tennis team. Having survived life with three brothers, Marcie bravely joined the Army out of high school, and that's where her real education began. She caught on, though, and was awarded outstanding trainee at basic training. She spent two years stationed at Fort Lewis, WA as a medic. She often said she was so glad she joined the army, and so glad she didn't have to do it again. She was proud of her country, proud of her service, and proud of others who served, especially her dad. She celebrated Flag Day religiously and supported the Veterans' Homes in Oregon.

Marcie was a career nurse for 35 years and worked in both hospitals and clinics in Albany and Corvallis. Caring for people is what she did best, and she did it with a passion. When her mom was diagnosed with Alzheimer's, Marcie cared for her throughout her long goodbye. When her dad had a stroke, she was there for him through rehabilitation and beyond. If you had needed her, she would have been there for you, too.

The tables turned about 10 years ago, when it was Marcie who needed more care. She was placed on the lung transplant waiting list and received the most beautiful gift of donated lungs on May 22, 2018. She then received the gift of a precious kidney on August 23, 2022, from another generous donor and family. These gifts of life were miracles and blessings from God, and Marcie never took them for granted. She prayed for her donors' families every day.

Marcie loved Jesus, beach trips, campfires, game time after holiday dinners, gardening, decorating with a shabby-chic flair, religious art, crazy emojis, Taco Bell tostadas, Judge Judy and almost all programming available on TLC. She didn't love music, but she liked old gospel hymns. She was usually the first to spot whales and eagles.

Above all, Marcie loved her family the most, and especially me, her favorite daughter. That is, until I had kids, and then they were the light of her life.

Marcie said yes to life and to all of life's gifts, and the lessons they afforded. From getting married and divorced (twice) to agreeing to let the teenagers in her care put a sealed can of soda into a campfire "to see what would happen," she lived life to the fullest and handled the consequences in stride. Take care of your parents? Yes, absolutely. Visit your daughter living overseas? Heck, yeah. Spend extra time with grandkids? Yes, please. Accept a donor organ? Yes, with immeasurable gratitude.

You can honor Marcie by continuing to say yes to life's blessings. Some of her favorites include: if you see a beautiful shell or an agate, say yes and pick it up. If something speaks to you at a barn sale, say yes and hope it fits in the car. If you'd like to experiment with a home perm or bangs, go for it. If you're wondering if it's time to mow the lawn again, the answer is a resounding yes.

In the weeks prior to her passing, Marcie felt the presence of her parents and brother Kris, who preceded her in death, as did her nephew, Anderson. They were most certainly waiting to walk her home. Marcie is survived by her siblings, Rodney Burrus and wife Gail, and Cortney Burrus; her favorite (and only) daughter, Elizabeth Johnson and son-in-law Mark Johnson; Beloved grandchildren Sadie Mills and Leo Mills; grandchildren by marriage, Dora Edgell, Mia Moore, Coy Johnson and Liviyah Johnson; and nieces and nephews who to this day swear it was Marcie's idea to put the soda in the campfire.

A memorial service will be held at First Christian Church in Corvallis, OR on November 29th at 2 p.m. Contributions to Donate Life Northwest at www.donatelifenw.org would mean a lot to the family.