My Dad called me this morning to tell me that an obituary was in this mornings (March 30, 2021) paper. Eric Anthony Burris.
I don’t remember what year James, Bettye and Eric Burris moved into the new neighborhood near our house. However, Eric and my brother were the same age and became friends. As the four year younger brother I was around and Eric always called me his little brother. Eric was an only child.
My Big Brother Eric Burris and I back in May 2016,
The last time I ran into Eric was on May 22, 2016 and I have the picture to remember it. Eric was an exceptionally smart man as you can read in his obituary. I was proud to be his little brother and ask for your prayers for his precious Mom as James and Eric are reunited in Heaven.
Eric Anthony Burris was the son of the late James Burris and Bettye Burris. He was born April 23, 1962 in Knoxville Tennessee and was deceased by his father, James Burris; grandmothers Lena Boyd and George Ann Collins and grandfathers, Freddie Boyd and Tommy Collins.
Eric was an Epicopalian and attended both St. James and St. Luke’s Episcopal Churches. He will be remembered for his contagious smile and his love for people. He never met a stranger. He attended Knoxville Public Schools and graduated from Carter High School in 1980. During his senior year at Carter he entered and won an Architectural Drafting Contest given by TVA, Knoxville, and was hired to work there. He also worked for the Tennessee Department of Transportation and designed several bridges and overpasses on I-75 and I-40 He subsequently worked for power plants in Greenville, South Carolina and Baxley, Georgia. He moved back to Knoxville and was hired by Rust Engineering Company as a draftsman. He then applied for, trained, and was hired by the Knoxville Fire Department. His class was the first class in 25 years to have black firefighters. This job was his dream job as he’d always wanted to be a fireman. During this time he earned an Associate Degree in Construction Engineering at State Technical Institute Knoxville, Tennessee. He worked at Carwoks Detailing Shop for several years as a detailer.
Survived by devoted mother, Bettye Burris, loyal and devoted companion, Angela Thomas; children, Briana Shipe and Thamar Smith; grandchildren, Samariyah Smith, Naviyon Shipe, and Nakiia Hawkins; special cousin-brother, Gegory Blair; friend – brother Marcus Bly; nephew, Codee Bly; friend-sister, Tonya Bly; aunt, Willie Merl Everette, Miami, Florida; uncle, Paul Burris, Augusta, Georgia and many cousins and friends throughout the country.
Visitation, 5:30-6:00 p.m., Wednesday, March 31, 2021 at Jarnigan’s Chapel; prayer service, 6:00 p.m.
Formal funeral service and burial will be announced at a later date.
Memorials may be made to St. James Episcopal Church in memory of Mr. Burris.
The family gives special thanks and appreciations to Park West and Ft. Sanders Hospitals and to Hospice Nurses for the excellent care he received.
Arrangements by JARNIGAN & SON MORTUARY
