Bruce H. Burgin, age 89, of Knoxville, went home to be with his Heavenly Father and his wife, on Christmas day, Sunday, December 25, 2016. He was a long time member of Central Baptist Church of Bearden. Bruce was a WWII Army veteran, having served in the Pacific and in Japan. "A salute to our dad, he passed on to be with our mother on Christmas morning. This was the best gift anyone could give him… to be reunited with his wife of 69 years."

Bruce was preceded in death by his wife, Kathern Burgin; parents, Sam and Eula Burgin; sister and brother-in-law, Mary (Burl) Sutton; son-in-law, Douglas Ball. He is survived by his sons, Larry (Kay) Burgin, Jerry (Shannon) Burgin, Jim (Ann) Burgin; daughter, Mary Ball; grandchildren, Deborah Burgin, Amanda Burgin, Chris (Natalie) Burgin, Stephen (Jennifer) Burgin, Tim (Courtney) Burgin, Jennifer (Brian) Withrow, Meredith (Brandon) Gregory, Rebekah Burgin, and Aaron Burgin; great-grandchildren, Davis and Grant Withrow, Madison, Lynlee, and Ella Burgin, Aleda and Natalie Gregory; sister, Shirley (Gordon) Webb; numerous nieces, nephews, and cousins.

The funeral will be Thursday evening at 7:00 p.m. at Rose Mortuary Mann Heritage Chapel with Rev. Mark Moreland officiating. The interment will be on Friday at East Tennessee State Veterans' Cemetery, on John Sevier Hwy., with the service time to be announced in tomorrow's paper. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Central Baptist Church's Children's Ministry, 6300 Deane Hill, Knoxville, TN 37919 or East Tennessee Children's Hospital, 2018 Clinch Ave., Knoxville, TN 37916. The family will receive friends on Thursday from 5:00–7:00 p.m. at Rose Mortuary Mann Heritage Chapel. Online condolences may be made at www.rosemortuary.com.
Published in Knoxville News Sentinel on Dec. 28, 2016