John Burlingame

John’s soul left his body on this day, Saturday, February 19, 2022.   He was born April 19, 1955 in Manhattan, Kansas, the son of the late Lenvil and Georgia (Procter) Burlingame.  His life’s journey began in high school (Hickman Class of 1973) when he started working for North American Van Lines. 

Fred, John’s boss kept asking him when he was going to get “that license?”  John replied, “soon Fred.”  John did get “that license” soon and Fred put John in a semi and had him traveling to 5 or 6 states for several months.

Fred’s daughter told him she had John in some of her classes at Hickman.  Fred asked John if he had failed a couple of grades because his daughter was only 16.  John replied, “me too (only 16) Fred.”  Fred fired John on the spot.  John had only gotten his first driver’s license, not his CDL license.  Fred hired John back that summer, but not to drive a semi.

At 22, John left Columbia in 1977 and moved to Seattle where John met Larry Nelsen at a party.  Larry hired John to work at Hansen Brother’s Moving and Storage and John worked there for 37 years.  When Larry took over the family business after his father retired, John helped Larry run the business.

John implemented the overseas shipping for Hansen Brother’s.  After John had a massive heart attack in 2013, John moved back to Missouri and bought a house in Eldon.  When John moved to Missouri, the overseas shipping stopped because no one wanted to take it over.

Larry and John remained friends after John moved to Missouri and they took turns calling each other.  Larry and his wife Rhonda flew to Columbia from Seattle for the day to pay John a surprise visit on February 8 as John had been staying in Columbia with his sister Cheryl since 2019 while receiving chemo treatments and was currently on hospice at Cheryl’s house. 

John met another good friend in Seattle, John Boyd, who had contacted John at Hansen Brother’s regarding shipping cold tubs to football teams across the United States.  They became very good friends and continued to call and help each other after John moved to Missouri. 

Also, after John moved back to Missouri, John reconnected with his cousin, Debbie Barrett and they would talk four hours a day while Debbie recovered from surgery.  Debbie said, “John gave good phone.”

John had many girlfriends during his lifetime, but remained single.  John is survived by his sister Cheryl Burlingame of Columbia, brother Rod Burlingame of Columbia, sister Janet Burlingame of Colorado Springs, and sister Gina White of Los Angeles, nieces, Heather Hobaugh of Boonville, Kendra Henderson of Los Angeles, nephews, Michael Forbis and Justin Forbis of Colorado Springs, and Blake Henderson of Columbia, and his cat, Grayson of Columbia.

Along with his parents, John was preceded in death by his Burlingame grandparents and his Procter grandparents, and his nephew Ryan Hill.

Visitation will be Saturday, February 26, 2022 from 1:30 PM – 2:30 PM at Phillips Funeral Home of Eldon, MO with the Funeral Service beginning at 2:30 PM with Brother Bob Hoskins officiating.  Interment will follow at Allen Cemetery of Olean, MO.

In Lieu of Flowers, Memorials in his name are suggested to the Humane Society.

Arrangements are under the direction and care of Phillips Funeral Home of Eldon, MO. 

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