Jack N. Burney

Jack N. Burney, 91, of Orange, Texas, passed away on December 3, 2025. A funeral service will be held at 2:00 p.m., on Monday, December 8, 2025, at Claybar Funeral Home in Orange, Texas. Officiating will be Dr. Gary McCormick, minister of First Christian Church, in Orange. A burial will follow at Hillcrest Memorial Garden.

Visitation will begin prior to the service at 1:00 p.m., Monday, December 8, 2025, at Claybar Funeral Home in Orange.

Born in Dallas, Texas on July 20, 1934. He was the son of A.V. Burney and Anne Marie (Billie) Nurdin Burney. He moved to Orange in 1941, just prior to the start of World War II. He graduated from Lutcher Stark High School in 1952. He graduated from Lamar University in 1956 with a degree in Civil Engineering. While he was a sophomore in high school, he met and dated the love of his life, Shirley. They dated until they were seniors at Lamar and married on December 22, 1955. He served in the U.S. Army from 1957 to 1959. Jack went to work at Citgo Petroleum Corp. in September 1956. He worked for Citgo for 41 years and retired as maintenance manager in July 1997. He was a member of the American Society of Civil Engineers and the Order of DeMolay.

He was preceded in death by his parents, A.V. and Anne (Billie) Burney, and his wife of 67 years, Shirley.

Jack, or Pawpaw to many of us, was a man of countless talents. An avid fisherman – you never wanted to miss a fish fry at the Burneys’ house. Everything he cooked was to perfection. Christmas Eve he always had the flame for jubilee cherries burning, serving it over some vanilla bean Blue Bell. But his late-night grilled cheeses were filled with the most love of all. He always wanted to share his woodworking skills with everyone around him. From building a lectern for the church, a toy box for his great-grandson or replicating anything his wife Shirley saw in a magazine – he could do it all. All his grandchildren and great-grandchildren owe a lot of their A+’s to him for his years of help on school projects. He continued to be the man in the family till the very end, who always picked up the phone with the right answer to anything that came up in life. His handwritten marriage and birth certificates are a special treasure that hundreds will cherish on their walls for decades to come. He will also be remembered for his many years of Sunday school teaching 5-year-olds at First Christian Church and the bridge clubs he and Shirley were a part of with lifelong friends.

He is survived by his daughters Laura Floyd and husband Carl of Orange, and Belinda Culberson and husband John of Houston; granddaughters, Ashley Floyd of Beaumont, Abby Terry and husband Mike of Driftwood, Allison Gummelt and Cody of Austin, and Caroline Culberson of Austin; great-grandchildren, Hayden Dowden, Olivia Dowden, Brock Terry all of Driftwood, and Lily Gummelt of Austin; sister, Shirley Brown of Katy; as well as other loving family and friends.

Serving as pallbearers will be Carl Floyd, Mike Terry, John Culberson, Gregg Evans, Hayden Dowden, and Pleas Evans, Jr.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Jack’s name to the memorial fund at First Christian Church of Orange, 611 N. 9th St, Orange, Texas 77630.

The services for Jack N. Burny will be livestreamed for the ones who are unable to make it. The livestream can be found under his obituary on. https://www.claybarfuneralhome.com/