Age 77, Lawton - Funeral services will be 10:00 a.m. Saturday at the Frontier Chapel, Fort Sill, with Chaplain (CPT) Scott Kennis, officiating and a eulogy presented by MG (Retired) Toney Stricklin. Mr. Burgess died Wednesday in a Lawton hospital. Burial will be in the South Bend Cemetery, South Bend, Texas, under the direction of the Becker Funeral Home. He was born May 17, 1932 in South Bend, Texas. He grew up in South Bend and graduated high School in Graham, Texas, and would later earn his bachelors degree in business from Wayland Baptist University. He married Betty Collinsworth on July 3, 1952 in Carlsbad, New Mexico. Mr. Burgess worked for a telephone company for a short time following high school graduation before enlisting in the U.S. Army. He was a veteran of the Vietnam War and retired at Fort Sill in 1974 with the rank of Master Sergeant. His awards include the National Defense Service Medal with first oak leaf cluster, Vietnam Campaign Medal, Army Commendation Medal, Good Conduct Medal 6 awards, Meritorious Unit Citation, Two Overseas Service Bars, Bronze Star Medal with first oak leaf cluster, Six Service Stripes, Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross Unit Citation, Vietnam Service Medal, Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, the Expert Qualification Badge Rifle M-16 and the Republic of Vietnam Civil Action Unit Citation. Following his retirement from the Army he moved to Wichita Falls, Texas, and taught high school R.O.T.C. He returned to Lawton in 1992 and worked as a manager for Raintree Apartment and Commercial Properties until the time of his death. He was a loving husband, a wonderful father and grandfather, an avid outdoorsman and a patriot. He is survived by his wife, of the home; four children and their spouses, Bill Burgess, Jr., Lawton, Brad and Karen Burgess, Lawton, Bridget Burgess, Lawton, and Barbie and W. Blaine Sheffield, Edmond; a longtime daughter in law, Sylvia Burgess, Lawton; two sisters and a brother in law, Dorothy Teague, Arlington, Texas, and Ouida and Bobby Gary, Graham, Texas; nine grandchildren, Martin and Warren Newby, Bradley, Corbin and Beverly Burgess, Christopher Tipps, Taylor Burgess and Brantly and Braxton Sheffield; two great grandchildren, Blake Walker Burgess and Kimberlyn Peyton Newby. Two children, Bobby Don and Becky Kay Burgess, and several brothers and sisters preceded him in death. Memorial contributions may be made to the South Bend Cemetery Association, attn Mary Braddock, 1010 Westwood Drive, Graham TX 76450.