Obituary of Billy Cullen Burris

Chatham: B. Cullen Burris, M.D., age 87, died on Saturday, August 27th, 2011 at Garden Terrace Nursing Home in Chatham, NJ. He was born in McComb, MS and had lived in Chicago, Milwaukee, Evanston, IL and Schenectady and Albany, NY before moving to NJ. Dr. Burris attended Mississippi College from 1941-43 and received his Medical Degree from the University of Tennessee in 1946. He completed his residency in Psychiatry at John Hopkins Medical School. He served in the Naval Reserves during World War II, and was a navy Lieutenant during the Korean War, stationed in Japan. Dr. Burris was in private practice in Chicago during the 1950's. He left Chicago to become director of the Milwaukee County Sanitarium. He then returned to private practice in Chicago, and was on the faculty of Northwestern University Medical School. He later became Chief of Psychiatry at the Stratton VA Medical Center in Albany, NY. He retired from the VA in 1991. He was a lifetime fellow of the American Psychiatric Association. In the 1970's, Dr. Burris and his wife were co-owners of the Almshouse Inn in Ghent, NY. He is predeceased by his wife, Kathleen Shirley Burris and his brother, Leo. G. Burris. He is survived by his son, Scott Cullen Burris and his wife Margaret Lee of Narberth, PA; his daughter, Anne Burris Lucas and her husband, David Lucas of Gillette and his two grandchildren, Haesun Burris-Lee and Hejin Burris-Lee. A memorial service will be held on October 8, 2011 at 11:00 a.m. at St. George's Episcopal Church, 30 North Ferry Street, Schenectady, NY 12305-1697. Memorial contributions may be made to the Alzheimer's Association, 400 Morris Ave., Suite 251, Denville, NJ 07834-1365. Arrangements are under the direction of Higgins Home for Funerals, Watchung, NJ.