Richard Lee Burris

Richard Lee Burris, 76, of La Salle, passed away peacefully on September 1, 2021 in St. Margaret’s Health in Spring Valley.

Funeral services will be 2:00 PM Sunday in the Hurst Funeral Home in La Salle with Rev. Lee Iseley, Pastor of First Congregational Church of La Salle officiating.  Burial will be in Forest Hill Cemetery in Wyanet. Visitation will be in the funeral home Sunday from 12:00 PM until time of services.

Dick was born in Depue on April 3, 1945 to William M. and Edna L. (Shipp) Burris.  He married Sue (Buswink) Harden on July 27, 1963.  He then married Kathryn (Foy) Publow in Sydney, Australia on October 23, 2001. Dick worked at Sundstrand for many years and then at TEST, Inc. for over 25 years as a water plant operator. He was a member of First Congregational Church of La Salle and was a Lay Preacher who taught youth Sunday school for 20 years. He was a past member of Grace United Methodist in La Salle. He served as a volunteer at I Care International (Eyeglasses) for missions to Mexico, Costa Rica, and Belize. He enjoyed hiking, canoeing, and looking for wildflowers.

Dick is survived by wife Kathryn of La Salle; four children Richard Burris of Princeton, Melanie (Doug) Dale of Plainfield, Bridget (Dan) Wilmot Sr. of Peru, and Jennifer (Alan) Rzeszewski of Naperville; three stepchildren Natalie (Andrew) Ziarnik of Barrington, Patrick Publow of La Salle, and Erin (Jeff Borisch) Publow of Columbus, OH; ten grandchildren; and five great grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by two brothers William and Melvin Burris; and four sisters, Marian Zeman, Delores Baum, Beverly Uranich, and Elberta Mae Burris in infancy.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to I Care International.

Pallbearers will be Dan Wilmot Sr., D.J. Wilmot Jr., Doug Dale, Alan Rzeszewski, Patrick Publow, Brad Mitchell, Richard and James Burris.

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