John "Jack" H. Burlingame

John H. "Jack" Burlingame, 85, of rural Benton (Sugarloaf Township), died Monday morning, July 14, 2025 at his home.

Born November  9, 1939 in Danville, he was raised  in Briar Creek, a son of the late Alva Edison and Lulu Mae (Long) Burlingame.   He and his wife, Catherine (Hauck) Burlingame, celebrated their 62nd wedding anniversary on February 23rd.

Mr. Burlingame attended Staunton Military Academy in Virginia from 1954 to 1956 and then graduated from Berwick High School in 1957.  He earned his B. A. degree in Political Science, from the University of Maryland in 1972. 

He faithfully and honorably served his country in the U. S. Navy for seven  years.

He was employed by the Department of Defense, National Security Agency (NSA),  for 30 years.  As part of his government service, he lived and worked in London, England, for three years.  Upon his return to the United States, he purchased and renovated a 150 year old house in Sykesville, MD.

He and his wife, Cathy, purchased land in the Benton area and raised Christmas trees, establishing "Burlingames Tree Farm".  Upon his retirement, he moved to Benton and built his family home at the tree farm. 

His hobbies included woodworking, building furniture and hunting on his property as well as the state game lands.  He was also an avid snowmobiler for many years. 

Surviving, in addition to his wife, Cathy, are his three daughters:  Sherry Burlingame, of Ridgeway, CO; Karen Burlingame and her husband, Donnie Porter,  of Marriottsville, MD;  Beth Ford and her husband, Jon, of Havre de Grace, MD; two grandsons:  Ethan Porter and his wife, Natasha, of Richmond, VA and Zachary Porter, of Knoxville, TN; two granddaughters:  Addison and Sydney Burlingame, of Phoenix, AZ.

Private Services will be held at the convenience of the Family.  The McMichael Funeral Home, Inc., of Benton, is honored to serve the Burlingame  Family.  For online condolences or for additional information, please visit our website:  www.mcmichaelfuneralhome.com

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