Telfair Burley Obituary

Telfair Burley Jr., the eldest of four children, was born on August 12, 1946, in Hinesville, Georgia, to the late Booker Telfair Burley Sr. and Gussie Wilson Burley.
Affectionately known as Bob, he was a member and youth Sunday school leader at Bethel A.M.E. Church in Hinesville, Georgia.
He was educated at Hineshaw Elementary School and graduated from Liberty County High School in 1963. While in high school, he was class president, football captain, selected to attend Virginia Union College's (now University) Summer Enrichment Program and graduated in the top 10 percent of his class. He was also the class president of the Liberty County High School 1963 Alumni Class for several years.
After graduation, he attended Morehouse College for two years and then was drafted into the U.S. Army in 1967 and served until 1969. He was stationed in Vietnam and received the National Defense, Vietnam Campaign and Vietnam Service medals.
Upon returning to the U.S., he served in the Army Reserves until 1973 and completed his college education later in life at the University of Phoenix.
Bob returned to Atlanta, Georgia, and began working for the City of Atlanta in 1975. He held several positions at the current Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, where he steadily progressed in his career in management where he exhibited his passion for encouraging the best in others. His last position was as a supervising aviations operations manager in the Airport Operations Office. He held this position for over 10 years before retiring in 1997.
He returned home to Hinesville in 1998 and temporarily managed the family daycare center.
He was married to Ethel H. Burley and to this union, they had a daughter, Nicole D. Burley (Atlanta, Ga.). He had three siblings, William T. Burley (deceased), Patricia Burley Jackson, Hinesville, Ga.; and Charlie C. Burley, Savannah, Ga. He also had two cousins raised like a brother and sister, Lawrence B. Mcintosh, Hinesville, Ga.; and Zanealia Mcintosh Hadley (deceased).
He is survived by his life partner, Annie Gastelle, Hinesville, Ga.; two nieces. Janeen Hill, New York, N.Y.; and Jacquita Burley, Jacksonville, Fla.; one nephew, Jonathan Jackson, Raleigh, N.C.; and a host of relatives and friends with special recognition of friendships with Charles Martin, Willie Watkins, Fred Hendry and the Liberty County High School Class of 1963.
Bob was an avid reader and had a passion for global politics, world history, music and hunting.
He excelled in his life as a leader, an inspiration to many, and had a giving spirit. He faced life's challenges with the determination to excel and succeed and approached life with the attitude of living it to its fullest.
A memorial service will be held on Friday, December 13, 2024, at 4 p.m. at Bethel A.M.E. Church, 233 Gause Street, Hinesville, GA.
A repast will be at the church annex immediately following the service.

Coastal Courier
(Hinesville, Ga.)
Wednesday, December 11, 2024
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