Obituary: Burya, John “Gilbert”
Age 89
Born January 19, 1926, he was the third of four children born to John “Jack” and Lillie “Jill” Burya of Valley, WA.
John lived a wonderful life and provided very well for his wife of 60 years and his two step-daughters.
Mary passed away in April of 2014.
John joined the Navy and did basic training at Farragut.
Before shipping out he brought three Navy buddies to Valley as their families were too far away to visit.
Four years later, all four returned.
His Navy buddies moved to Valley too.
As John started logging, by law he was required to have a name on the door of his trucks.
After a hard day’s work the guys drank a few beers and, hot and dirty, they challenged each other to a log rolling contest at the pond.
John fell in the beaver pond.
The next morning John finds a big beaver painted on each door with the words “The Beaver”.
When in the ‘50s our government allowed Canada to import lumber it put our loggers out of business.
John moved his cats, trucks, etc.
to Waitts Lake where he and Dick Dunlap put in a subdivision which was named “Beaver Park”.
John had moved to Spokane where he ran Burya Auto, and also started buying real estate, then commercial properties.
His buddies continued working for John where he helped them own their own properties.
John will be dearly missed by his stepdaughter Gordia and son-in-law Richard; brother Eugene and sister-in-law Pat Burya; grandchildren Kerry Burnell, Barry (Louann), Ted (Rachel) Charon, Christine Charon Morley, Phillip (Victoria) Morley, Julianne Morley; 14 great-grandchildren and three great-great-grandchildren.
We know he is back with his loving wife Mary, stepdaughter Belva, brother Rupert, sister Margie Wilson, parents “Jack and Jill”, aunts, uncles, cousins, his many friends and his three lifelong Navy buddies.
John loved restoring old equipment, including his 1926 log truck, cats, cars, etc.
A special “Thank you” to Hospice of Spokane, as well as to Father Skok who grew up with John in Valley, WA.
Thank you also to a special neighbor and friend, Dennis “Doc” Murphy, who shared the same love of antique vehicles and jokes.
And a very special “Thank you” to grandsons Barry and Ted Charon for staying at his bedside.
“Until we meet again.”
A Graveside Service will be held on Monday, October 5, 2015 at 1:00pm at Riverside Memorial Park, 508 N. Government Way, Spokane.