Gary Paul Burgess
Gary was born and raised in Auburn, Massachusetts. He is predeceased by his father, Keene Burgess. Gary is survived by his mother Dorothy (Zecker) Burgess of Tewksbury, MA; his older brother Wayne Burgess and sister-in-law Diane Burgess of Hinesburg, VT; his younger brother Steven Burgess and sister-in-law Gabriela Burgess of Lynnfield, MA; his youngest brother Brian Burgess and sister-in-law
Lucy Burgess of Derry, NH, and many nieces and nephews — all of whom miss him greatly.
Gary graduated from Auburn High School in 1974 and went on to study architecture at Carnegie Mellon University. But his passion for the culinary arts took him in a different direction. He worked in the restaurant and hospitality industry for most of his life, most recently at Villa Cristina’s in Atlanta, GA, where he spent the past two decades.
Gary was passionate about cooking for family and friends. He found great joy in tackling complex cooking techniques, whether they proved successful or not. He never failed to impress with the variety of dishes he shared at holiday gatherings. His easy-going nature and quick smile will be missed, as will his thoughtful and sensitive intellect. Conversations with him would often lead to a deep dive on an eclectic mix of issues and subjects.
Gary had a wide variety of interests, from home remodeling to exploring swamplands in the South. The stories and pictures from his many swampland vacations with friends were always entertaining.
No services are planned at this time due to the COVID-19 pandemic. A memorial service will take place at a future date.
In lieu of flowers, his family requests that friends make contributions in his memory to the American Cancer Society if desired, at cancer.org.
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We’ll always miss you Gary, and you will forever be in our hearts.
We are deeply saddened and shocked by the sudden loss of our brother. He was taken too early. Gary will always be remembered for the ease with which he smiled and chuckled at almost anything you said. The annual Burgess family get togethers were special when we knew Gary would be traveling up from Georgia to join us on the east coast. We would give up control of our kitchen to him and happily stand back and play his kitchen helpers. Wherever you are now, Gary, we hope you are still leading a kitchen crew creating special memories. You will be missed. May your soul rest in peace!
Steve / Gabriela and Gary’s Family
We are so very sorry about the loss of your brother Gary. Hopefully the happy memories of special times will ease the sadness you have now.
May he Rest In Peace.
The best of the best. I’ll miss him deeply
The best of the best. I’ll miss him deeply. At a loss for words
Just learned of Gary’s passing. Rest in peace and be always in His Light. SIncere Sympathy to all the Burgess family.
Gary and I were roommates and housemates and good friends for years at CMU. We shared so much, so many good times back then. He’ll certainly live on in all our memories.
Kathy and I were so sad to hear of Gary’s passing. We shared the CMU experience with Gary. Gary shared a floor with me in the freshman dorm. I met him on the first day of college and we immediately struck up a friendship. In my senior year, we shared a group house in Squirrel Hill. We kept in touch after college. Gary was one of my groomsmen and we shared several family vacations with him. He was a kind soul with an ironic sense of humor. He was always interesting and pleasant company and a fine cook and host. We will miss him but treasure the memories of the times we shared.
Jim Carr, for Jim and Kathy Carr