Lee Burden Obituary

Lee Burden A.K.A. "Lefty" Lee went home to be with Jesus on Saturday, November 30, 2013. He died at home surrounded by family. He was 65 years old. He was born Leffel Arno Burden on May 1, 1948 to Golden Arno Burden and Sara Fay Burden in Hanford, California. He graduated from Tulare Western High School in 1966. Then he attended College of the Sequoias and Tulare Police Academy. Lee is survived by his wife Rose Burden, whom he married on June 6, 1980, his daughter Jamie and her husband Lance Mouw of Tulare along with their 4 children, Colby and Jake Johnson, Mitchel Mouw and Payton Mouw; his son Nathan and his wife Kristin Burden of San Luis Obispo along with their 3 children, Christian, Carsan and Kaya; son Michael Dillard and his wife Maggie of Sherman Oaks and their 3 children Jeff, Ian and Hanna; son Frank Dillard of Reno, NV; "adopted" son Stephen Edwards of Tulare; two great-grandchildren, and many others who loved him dearly, including his dogs. "Lefty" wore many hats during his lifetime! He was bartender at Harrah's in Reno, a Tulare Police Officer, truck driver, an underwater welder who helped rebuild the Pismo Pier, and most recently he was the "jack of all trades"/Service Manager for River Bend Farms in Tulare. Whatever he did, wherever he did it, he did it with all his heart and did it well! He enjoyed the simple things in life like…camping and fishing, woodworking, and spending time with family and friends. He was a member of the Elks Lodge and then the Friendship Club. He spent the majority of his life in Tulare, with short stints in Reno, NV, Morro Bay, Nipomo, Paso Robles, and even Arkansas. But...he drove back as fast as he could when his first grandchild was born! And stayed 'til last Saturday when the Lord called him home! Lee was a great man full of love and compassion, who loved Jesus, his family, and his country! Please join the family on Saturday, Dec. 7, 2013 at 2:00pm for a Celebration of Life service. It will be held in a field under a big old oak tree at 21201 Road 132, Tulare, CA. (So dress warm and wear appropriate shoes.) In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to: Children's Hospital Central California Attn: Foundation Dept. in honor of Lee Burden, 9300 Valley Children's Way, Madera, CA 93636.