Clifford A. Burris

Clifford A. Burris passed away peacefully on February 12, 2020. He was 94. Cliff was born to Charles Burris and Josephine Jensen Burris in a farmhouse on Burris Rd. without indoor plumbing, electricity or telephone.

Cliff joined the Navy during WWII and was in flight training when the war ended. He married Ruth Woltjen, and with her support and the aid of the GI bill graduated from Syracuse University with a degree in Mechanical Engineering. Cliff worked for IBM 28 years, moving his family several times for his job. He worked on the Saturn and Apollo Programs and computers that would take men to the moon. But his proudest accomplishment was raising his four girls.

Cliff retired in 1980. He and Ruth enjoyed winters in Florida with his sister and brother-in-law Nadine and Ken Warren. In 1997 Cliff and Ruth moved to Ovid, NY. He helped Steve and Val with their blueberry farm, and until his early nineties walked 2 miles a day.

Cliff and Ruth were avid Bridge players, plus Cliff was well-known for telling humorous anecdotes. He loved to sing and had a beautiful tenor voice, much appreciated by church choirs and congregations.

He was predeceased by Ruth in 2005, and by his siblings Marguerite French, Jesse Burris and Nadine Warren.

He is survived by 4 loving daughters, Shelley (Cary) Harkaway, Karen (Al) Washington, Valerie (Steve) Luce, and Vicki (Mark) Masi; 8 grandchildren; 2 great grandchildren; several nieces and nephews; and his cat Max.

A Memorial Service will be held at 10:00am on Friday, August 13, 2021 at the Trumansburg United Methodist Church, 80 East Main Street, Trumansburg. 

lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to Keuka Comfort Care Home in Penn Yan.

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