Burton "Jay" Burreson

Burton Burreson “Jay” Age 81 of Corvallis, passed away peacefully on Monday, June 17, 2024, at Good Samaritan Hospital with his family by his side. Born August 3, 1942, in Seattle, Washington, Jay was a son of Burton and Eva (Thomlinson) Burreson. At age 6, the family moved to Pendelton, Oregon which is where Jay graduated from Pendleton High School with the class of 1960. Following graduation, Jay attended Oregon State University (Delta Tau Delta Fraternity) and graduated in 1964 with a degree in chemistry. He liked the field so much that he went on to graduate school at the University of California at Santa Barbara and earned his Ph.D. in Chemistry in 1969. Also in 1969, Jay married Ms. Janet Smith and adopted her two daughters: Mandy and Meg. Their son Chris was born in 1976. Together they made a home and raised their family. They would later divorce. In 1973 Jay applied for a fellowship at the National Institute of Health and was awarded a grant at the University of Hawaii to do marine natural products chemistry. He loved that job and published fifteen papers on the structures of compounds during his tenure. The grant ended and his young family returned to the mainland for a job with Whittaker in San Francisco. Wanting to be closer to family, they decided to move back to Portland, Oregon where he worked for Tektronix Electronic Manufacturing Company for fifteen years. Jay then went on to work for smaller manufacturing companies which led him to Corvallis, which is where he retired. Jay loved sharing a book called “Napoleon’s Buttons” that a classmate from UC Santa Barbara, Penny LeCouteur and he co-wrote to help people understand chemistry. Surprising to the authors, the book has been re-published in multiple languages and is used in classrooms still to this day. He was proud of his distance running efforts and his running of the Boston Marathon in 1987 finishing in the top 2000 with a completion time of 3 hours and thirty-five minutes. He also distance ran with a group in Portland and ran the Hood to Coast run. In 2004, Jay and his partner: Jo moved to the Fiji Islands for three years. Scuba Diving and underwater photography were his passion, accumulating over 3,000 photos. He was fortunate enough to dive in 14 different countries. In 2007, Jo and Jay returned to Corvallis. Jay spent his time growing Bonsais and Orchids, building boats, playing his guitars and reading. As he put it “taking life easy”. Jay always said Ephesians 2:8: “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and this is not your own doing, it is a gift from God”. When Jay got the opportunity to dive on the Fujikawa Maru, he said: “diving has always been a spiritual experience for me and diving with the Fujikawa Cross is a little bit like going to an underwater shrine”. Jay’s heart wore out and everyone that knew and loved him is very sad. He will be deeply missed but never forgotten. Jay is survived by his partner: Jo Brooks; daughters: Amanda (Darrin) Hansen and Margaret Burreson; son: Chris Burreson; granddaughters: Kylie and Scarlet; brother: Eugene (Susie) Burreson; niece and nephew: Cary Sue and Rob; close friend of over 60 years: Penny LeCouteur, and his best buddy: “Whisper” the cat. He is preceded in death by his parents: Burton and Eva; stepsister: Betty Peterson and best friend: Bill Holman. Per Jay’s wishes, cremation rites have been accorded. At his request there will be no services held. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made in Jay’s memory to the American Heart Association, Safe Haven Humane Society in Tangent, OR or a charity of your choosing. Cremation arrangements have been made under the direction and care of DeMoss-Durdan Funeral Home in Corvallis. (541-754-6255)

Burton "Jay" Burreson

August 3, 1942 - June 17, 2024