B. J. (Burleigh John) Smith, 62, of Dallas passed away on March 29, 2011 from complications due to liver cancer. He was born in Shreveport, LA to the late B. C. (Bernard Cyril) and Gwendolyn Smith. B. J. worked 20 years for Cinemark Theaters as a film buyer before retiring in early 2010. He served as an officer in the Air Force achieving the rank of Captain while serving as a B-52 navigator/bombadier from 1970 – 1976.
He is survived by Dennis Bellotto, his partner of 31 years, sister Lynn Norton and family of Flower Mound, brother Barney Smith and family of San Antonio, and cherished cat Lance.
B. J. had a very outgoing and uplifting personality. He never met a stranger. Hobbies and interests included singing with the Turtle Creek Chorale 11 years, movies, traveling, cooking, enjoying food and wine with friends.
In lieu of flowers, B. J. requested that memorial donations be made to AMFAR http://www.amfar.org/ or The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society http://www.lls.org/ No formal memorial service
No funeral service information has been provided by the family or the funeral home.
http://www.ariacremation.com/obituaries.asp
These pictures were taken in March of 2011
Brother, Barney, Sister, Lynn and BJ
B. J. (Burleigh John) Smith
BORN: April 7, 1948
DIED: March 29, 2011
LOCATION: Dallas, TX
BORN: April 7, 1948
DIED: March 29, 2011
LOCATION: Dallas, TX
4 comments:
I have happy memories of Burleigh from our senior year together at Randolph. Mr. Posey was our drama teacher and we worked very hard on our one act play that year. Burleigh was energetic and fun to be around - but also very hardworking. It saddens me to realize that Burleigh has been 50 miles away all these years. I probably know people here in Corsicana who have sung with him in the chorale.
Remembering happy times when we were kids in Virginia with Burleigh and Barney. Have
often thought about you over the years. It sounds like Burleigh had an interesting and full
life, just as I would have imagined for him. In his picture he even looks a lot like he did back
then. My thoughts and prayers for Burleigh and for Barney and their mother, Gwendolyn.
God bless you. Mike Manning
I went to fourth grade with Burleigh in Falls Church, VA, and then he moved away. He was an excellent kid.
Besides being the star of the school play, he played piano while Barney played drums and my brother Louis Michael played trumpet.
Last week I decided to see if I could find Burleigh on the Internet and say hello. Sadly, I'm a little late.
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