Obituaries / LJWorld.com

Obituaries

Mass of Christian Burial for Dean Burkhead, 80, Lawrence, will be at 10 a.m. Monday at Corpus Christi Catholic Church, with Monsignor Vince Krische officiating. Burial will follow at Mount Calvary Cemetery in Lawrence.
Mr. Burkhead died Thursday, Nov. 17, 2011, at his home.
He was born April 27, 1931, in Quinter, the son of Clyde and Hattie McQueen Burkhead. He grew up in Monument and graduated from Monument High School in 1949.
Mr. Burkhead came to Lawrence in 1949 to attend Kansas University and later KU Law School. After his law school graduation in 1955, he worked in the governor’s office. He later worked in the legal department of the Kansas Department of Revenue. In 1967, he was appointed an Assistant Attorney General to Robert C. Londerholm. In 1968, he joined the Lawrence law firm Riling and Riling (now Riling, Burkhead and Nitcher) as an attorney and partner. He retired in 1994 after a stroke.
Mr. Burkhead was a member of the Corpus Christi Catholic Church, Knights of Columbus, the Kansas and Douglas County Bar Associations, American Trial Lawyers Association, KU Alumni Association, National Rifle Association, Kiwanis Club and the Optimist Club. He was also a life member of the Kansas Historical Society. He enjoyed hunting, fishing, reading, water-skiing, photography, and spending time with his children and grandchildren.
He married Rosalie Weigel on Jan. 29, 1953, in Oakley. She survives of the home.
Other survivors include six children, Deanna Lowe and husband Marc, Topeka, Patsy Huffman and husband Steve, Lawrence, Kim Lewis and husband Joe, Lawrence, Pam Burkhead, Lawrence, Terri Cooper and husband Scott, Garnett, and Tom Burkhead and wife Leah, Leawood; a brother, Donnie Burkhead, California; a sister, Carole Jo Ralston, West Virginia; 13 grandchildren, Lindsey Kaminski, Brooke Lowe, Mallory Lowe, Kayla Altman, Kasey Gryszowka, Megan Lewis, Tyler Lewis, Kelsey Cooper, Cameron Cooper, Katelin Cooper, Carston Cooper, Charlie Burkhead and Jack Burkhead; and three great-grandchildren, Sadie Kaminski, Hayden Kaminski and Halston Altman.
He was preceded in death by his parents and two brothers, Richard and Delmar.
The family will greet friends from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday at Warren-McElwain Mortuary, 120 W. 13th St. A rosary will be recited at 5 p.m.
The family suggests memorials to St. Lawrence Catholic Campus Center, Southern Care Hospice of Lawrence or St. Luke’s Brain and Stroke Institute.
Online condolences may be sent to warrenmcelwain.com.