Howard Dell Burtchett

October 10, 1924 - February 20, 2015

Oct. 10, 1924 – Feb. 20, 2015 Howard D. Burtchett passed away Feb. 20 at Samaritan Evergreen Hospice House in Albany, following a brief illness. He was born in Union City, Tennessee, where, even as a small child, he had to work hard to survive the Great Depression. As a young man he earned the rank of Eagle Scout and loved playing on his high school’s football team. In June of 1943, Howard enlisted in the U.S. Marines and served in war zones as an aircraft mechanic. After being discharged following the war, he met his future wife, Marjorie, and they were married in 1947. Howard later attended Utah State University, where he studied forestry management and participated in Army ROTC. Upon graduation in 1950, he accepted a commission as a Second Lieutenant in the U.S. Army. After serving in Korea, Howard attended Lehigh University in Pennsylvania, earning a master’s degree in business administration. Howard and his family moved to Corvallis in 1964 when Howard was posted first as an instructor and later as commander of the Army ROTC program at Oregon State University. Following two tours of duty in Vietnam, where he earned the Legion of Merit award, Howard retired to Corvallis in 1971. In the 1970s Howard worked both as a property appraiser and later as Linn County building inspector. Howard was able to travel the world as a military officer and his children were given the opportunity to live and travel in Europe. He was an avid fisherman and loved going to Green Peter Reservoir to toss in the hook with his fishing buddies. He also was a big fan of Oregon State University football and an even bigger fan of professional football, catching several games every weekend. Howard was preceded in death by his wife, Marjorie; his parents, Arly and Winnie; his sister, Agnes; and his son, Stephen. He is survived by his loving companion of 22 years, Vilma Beyers; his daughters, Patricia (Terese) Rudy and Susanna Burtchett; grandchildren Jamie Ortega, Sean Lee and Nick Lee; and great-grandchildren Noah, Haley, Caden and Grayson. No services are planned, and Howard will be interred at Willamette National Cemetery in Portland.