Burleigh E. Barnes

WESTBROOK — Burleigh E. Barnes, of Westbrook, passed away on Feb. 3, 2013 at Gosnell Memorial Hospice Hospital in Scarborough. He was just shy of his 86th birthday.

Burleigh was born in Hiram on March 2, 1927 to Dana Barnes and Marion Dwyer, the eldest of their four children.

Burleigh graduated from Fryeburg Academy in 1944, where he was captain of his football, baseball and basketball teams. His love of sports continued when he went on to play baseball and football at Bowdoin College and baseball in the Greater Portland Twilight League.

Burleigh served in the Navy in 1944 and received an honorable discharge in 1946. After graduating in 1951 from Bowdoin College with a bachelor’s degree in Chemistry, Burleigh began a 41-year career with S.D. Warren/Scott Paper Company as a research chemist. In the late 1960s, Burleigh started a business relationship with Scott Graphics International in Bornem, Belgium, furthering the growth of S.D. Warren in the international market. He held a number of positions in R&D, marketing and sales, retiring as vice president of Specialty Products Division in 1992. He loved his work and the opportunities it gave him to travel the world, but after 41 years felt it was time to play more golf, winter in Florida and enjoy his children and grandchildren.

Burleigh is survived by his wife of almost 59 years, Priscilla G. Barnes; daughters, Gretchen B. Yager and Jayne E. Barnes of Westbrook; a son, Dana G. Barnes of Ashburn, Va.; six grandchildren; a brother, Clifford Barnes of Westbrook; a sister, Mildred Nicoletes of Lakeland, Fla.; and nieces and nephews.

Burleigh often said, “When you have your health and your family, you have everything.”

Following Burleigh’s wishes, there will be a gathering of family and friends at the Westbrook Middle School, 471 Stroudwater Street, Westbrook from 1 to 3 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 17, 2013 to remember his life.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Burleigh’s memory to: Mission Possible, 755 Main Street, Westbrook, ME 04092.

Since its beginning in 1998, Mission Possible has provided a safe after-school environment for at-risk teens ages 10 to 18 that focuses on providing a structured curriculum to academically and developmentally enrich their lives for success.