John R. Burleigh

John R. Burleigh John R. Burleigh, 55, who was a history teacher at Maclay School for 18 years, died Wednesday, May 7, 2003, after a long battle with cancer. The memorial gathering will be at 7 p.m. EDT May 19 at Maclay School's gymnasium. Bevis Funeral Home (385-2193 orwww.bevisfuneral.com)is handling arrangements. Memorial contributions may be made to Maclay School, John Burleigh Memorial Fund, 3737 N. Meridian Road, Tallahassee, FL 32312; Big Bend Hospice, 1723 Mahan Center Blvd., Tallahassee, FL 32308; or American Cancer Society, 241 John Knox Road, Suite 100, Tallahassee, FL 32303. John was born in Washington, D.C. He graduated from Washington-Lee High School in Arlington, Va. He earned his bachelor's degree in history from the College of William and Mary, where he played four years of varsity soccer, serving as captain his senior year. In 1973, John received his master's degree in American history from the American University and came to Florida State University to gain education credits for his certification. Upon graduating from William and Mary, he was commissioned as second lieutenant in the Army and, after his discharge, served as first lieutenant in the reserves until 1978. In the early ?70s, John was manager/pro for the Forest Meadows Racquet Club. He also owned and operated the pro shop and was part owner of another tennis shop in Tallahassee. As a teaching pro, John worked with many of the area's up-and-coming tennis players of the era. Prior to coming to Maclay in 1984, John taught history for three years at Athens Academy in Athens, Ga. He became head of the history department and coached several sports. John was an admired faculty member of Maclay's upper school. He pioneered many courses for the history department and coached tennis for some years before coaching the girl's soccer teams. He was a "master" teacher in every sense of the word. He was an avid fisherman, hiker, camper, hunter and photographer. He is survived by his mother, Lee Burleigh of Tallahassee, and a sister, Pat McDougal (and husband David) of Williamsburg, Va. He was preceded in death by his father, Roy Burleigh.