Joseph William Burrill

Joseph William Burrill, 76, died unexpectedly while tending to his garden in Wilmington, North Carolina on Monday, September 20, 2021 with his beloved dog Nassau by his side. While his passing came way too soon for those that love him, he was a firm believer that when God decided it was his time, he was ready.

Joseph was born in Bellevue, Ohio on August 11, 1946 to Katherine Marie (Keller) Burrill and Donald Joseph Burrill. He attended the Immaculate Conception school, before graduating from Bellevue High School in 1964. Always devout in his Faith, Joe attended the historic all male Catholic Alexian Brothers Hospital School of Nursing in Chicago, Illinois. Following his graduation, he worked as a nurse at Sandusky Memorial Hospital in Sandusky, Ohio and Carle Clinic in Champaign, Illinois before completing an anesthesia residency program at Bellevue Hospital in New York City, New York. He went on to work as a nurse anesthetist in Saint Joseph, Missouri; Columbus, Ohio; Miami Valley Hospital of Dayton, Ohio; and Middletown, Ohio. After his time at Middletown, he was self-employed as Locum Tenens CRNA and travelled for contracts in both Michigan and Ohio. His career spanned 42 years as a Registered Nurse (RN), and 38 years as a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA). Following his retirement, he and his wife, Barbara, moved from Ohio to the North Carolina coast to enjoy warmer weather and to be closer to their daughter, Colleen.

Joe enjoyed his coastal life in Wilmington, North Carolina with trips to both Wrightsville and Carolina Beaches, eating the best seafood chowder from Michael’s Seafood of Carolina Beach, walking his beloved rescue husky, Nassau, of almost 16 years; chatting with neighbors along the way; and overall, spending time in nature, whether it be local parks or his own backyard garden.

Co-workers and friends will attest to the fact that you always knew where you stood with him. In addition, that he was always good for replying with a sarcastic remark. As an avid patriot, Joe was a firm believer in upholding the 2nd Amendment, and he believed in the God-given rights given to us by the Constitution. While known to be boisterous and opinionated, it was his ability to love, sacrifice, provide, support, and forgive, that will forever be his legacy that lives on in all of us.

He is survived by his wife of 38 years, Barbara (Herman) Burrill; his two daughters, Jennifer Jean Burrill of Santa Fe, New Mexico, and Colleen Marie Burrill of Wilmington, North Carolina; his granddaughter, Sofia Justice Burrill of Santa Fe, New Mexico; and his older brother, Charles Paul Burrill of Ortonville, Michigan, his wife Sue (Carl) Burrill, and their four children, Joe’s nieces and nephews, Kati (Burrill) Campbell of Oxford, Michigan, Matt Burrill of South Lyon, Michigan, Megan (Burrill) DeMartinis of Oxford, Michigan, and Steve Burrill of Minneapolis, Minnesota, and seven great-nieces and nephews.

He is preceded in death by his mother Katherine Marie (Keller) Burrill and his father Donald Joseph Burrill, his maternal grandparents Joseph Henry Keller and Katherine Elizabeth (O’Hare) Keller of Bellevue, Ohio, and paternal grandparents Clarence William Burrill and Gertrude Cecilia (Agnes) Burrill of Los Angeles, California, his uncle Paul Keller of Bellevue, Ohio, uncle Charles Keller of Florida, cousin Paul Keller Jr. of Illinois, Father-in-law Edward J. Herman of Sandusky, Ohio, sister-in-law Suzanne Herman Schoewe of Tampa, Florida, Mother-in-law Marie (Mantey) Herman of Sandusky, Ohio, and brother-in-law Edward Herman Jr. of Albuquerque, NM.

A Mass celebrating his life will be held at the Immaculate Conception Catholic Church, 231 E. Center Street, Bellevue, Ohio on Tuesday, October 5, 2021 at 11:00 A.M. Visitation will precede the Mass from 9:30 a.m.  until a procession to church begins at 10:45 a.m. at Foos & Foos Funeral Service, 151 Yorkshire Place, Bellevue.  Following the services Joseph will be buried with his parents and grandparents in the Bellevue Catholic Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation in Joe’s memory to St. Vincent de Paul Emergency Shelter 124 W. Apple St. Dayton, OH 45402 and/or the New Hanover County Arboretum 6206 Oleander Dr. Wilmington, NC 28403. 

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