Edwin Art Burrill

Edwin Arthur "Art" Burrill, 89, went to be with the Lord on Tuesday, Sept. 19, 2006, after a short illness. Art was born June 22, 1917, in Fort Collins to Ruth Collamer Burrill and Frank Burrill, attending schools in Fort Collins throughout his young years. He graduated from Fort Collins High School in 1935. He attended Colorado Agricultural College, which later became Colorado State University, but left school to work for Union Pacific Railroad in Fort Collins in 1937 in the late years of the Depression. He married Mary Lemons on Sept. 13, 1941, in Eaton and soon after enlisted in the U.S. Navy just prior to Pearl Harbor. Mary preceded him in death in 1997. During World War II, he spent several years in naval service, chasing submarines in the Atlantic until returning to Fort Collins in 1945, where he resumed his career with Union Pacific. He worked in several Kansas communities as well as Northern Colorado locations for UP during his career, eventually working his way up to become station agent in Fort Collins in 1976, for a time the lone representative for UP in Fort Collins. He retired from UP in July of 1979. Art was also very involved in church work over the years, both in leadership and in physical maintenance at First Baptist Church where he was a long-time member. Art was also a member of the Union Pacific employee club, the Fort Collins Pioneer Association and the North Park Pioneer Association. Art spent several summers of his teen years in the North Park area with family members who pioneered the area. Art leaves two sons and wives, David Triana Burrill of Torrington, Wyo., and James Carol Burrill of Loveland; a grandson, Timothy Burrill of Torrington; cousins, Rosalie and Jackie Rohrbacker of Fort Collins and numerous other relatives and close friends living in the area. A funeral service will be held at 2 p.m. today at the First Baptist Church, 900 E. Prospect. A private interment will be held at Grandview Cemetery. Pastor Mark Hanke will be officiating at the service. The family wishes memorial contributions go to Gideons International in care of Bohlender Funeral Chapel, 121 W. Olive, Fort Collins, CO 80524.