Read Doris Woodruff Burgess's Obituary & Leave Condolences

In memory of

Doris Woodruff Burgess

Onalaska, WI, USA

April 4, 1920 - December 16, 2020

Apr 4, 1920 - Dec 16, 2020

Help keep everyone in the know by sharing this memorial website.

Share

Photo

Doris (Woodruff) Burgess passed away peacefully on Wednesday, December 16, 2020 in the Memory Care Unit at Eagle Crest North in Onalaska, WI. She was surrounded in love by her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.
Doris was born on April 4, 1920 in Denver, Colorado to Hettie Irene Woods and Fred Farrand Woodruff. She graduated from Milwaukee Downer College in 1943 and was then hired as the Director of Occupational Therapy at the Crippled Children’s Hospital in Richmond Virginia. During that time, she began a written correspondence with a soldier, Edward (Ted) West Burgess. They met for the first time when he returned from the war and after a brief courtship were married in Denver, Colorado in 1945. Ted enrolled at the University of Chicago to pursue a master’s degree in public administration. Their first child, Lynne, was born during this time in Chicago. Ted took the written and oral exams for the Foreign Service and was quickly offered a position which he accepted. This began their incredible life journey. Their second child, Mary, was born in Alexandria, Egypt, and two sons, Ed and John, were born in Rangoon, Burma.
Doris wrote her memoir in 2009. It chronicles the challenges and excitement of their travels and their appreciation for the many cultures they experienced. It was a wonderful gift to her children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews.
In 1975, Ted retired from the Foreign Service and took a position at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee as the Assistant Director of their Institute of Foreign Affairs. Doris began to pursue many of her interests and hobbies during this time in Milwaukee. She was able to spend quality time with her children and grandchildren. The couple purchased a small farm in Holmen, WI where they enjoyed long weekend visits with some of their family. They eventually rented a mobile home nearby so they could continue to be near family after their son, Ed, and family moved into the farmhouse.
Ted was diagnosed with Parkinson’s in 1992 and the couple decided to move to The Village at Manor Park, a residence that offered various levels of care and support for Ted. He passed away in May 2011 and Doris remained there until she needed more assistance due to her health issues. She moved to the Memory Care Unit at Eagle Crest North in Onalaska in 2018.
Doris was a kind and compassionate woman who was deeply loved by family and friends. She embraced life and approached everything with a positive outlook and enthusiasm that impressed everyone that knew her. Her love for her children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren knew no bounds. Her unconditional love was obvious in her interactions with each of them throughout their lives. She knew when to listen and when to offer her sage advice. Each of her family members benefited from this wisdom many times in their lives.
Doris had many interests and hobbies! She was quite the carpenter and home remodeler. She loved using her hands and worked together with her son Ed to remodel the lower level of a house that they owned in Bethesda, Maryland. She was an accomplished weaver and became an active member of the Wisconsin Handweavers. Her beautiful works of art are displayed in the homes of her family and friends. Many babies are wrapped in love with a Doris Burgess baby blanket. Her greatest joy was giving away the fruits of her labor. She purchased an organ later in life and taught herself to play for her own enjoyment and to entertain her family. Many family sing-a-longs were initiated through her love of music. Last but not least, she was adept at card games. She loved playing Hearts and would encourage a competitive game at the end of many family gatherings. Doris was a role model for all that knew and loved her. Her mantra, “bloom where you are planted” will live on in our hearts forever.
Doris is survived by her four children Lynne (Keith) Valiquette, Mary (Nicholas) Avrakotos, Edward (Annette Valeo) Burgess, John (Barbara) Burgess, nine grandchildren, Anna (Ger) Yang, Sarah (Justin) Michael, Noah (Andrea) Burgess, Aaron (Paige) Avrakotos, Avery Avrakotos, Nolan Avrakotos, Edward Burgess, Haley Burgess, and Natalie Burgess, and three great grandchildren (with a fourth on the way), Theo Yang, Quentin Yang, Autumn Yang, and Baby Burgess.
Her family is deeply grateful for the love and compassion that she received from her caregivers throughout her stay. They, in conjunction with the Mayo Clinic hospice program, helped her on her final journey in life and made it possible for her to gently leave this world.
A Celebration of Life is planned for the summer, 2021.
Memorial gifts in her name, can be sent to her favorite charity Heifer International [heifer.org] or to the Eagle Crest North Employee Appreciation Fund [eaglecrestlife.org/donate] to honor the staff from whom she received such loving care.

Order a beautiful PDF you can print and save or share.

Get the PDF

Get notified when new photos, stories and other important updates are shared.