Obituary of Ray Heyden Burson

Ray Heyden Burson, 79, of Doniphan, Missouri, departed this life Wednesday, January 11, 2017, at his residence. Mr. Burson, son of Frank Ray and Claire (Heyden) Burson, was born January 16, 1937, in Elizabeth, New Jersey. He had been a Foreign Service Officer and Diplomat for the U. S. Government. Ray grew up in Aruba from the age of 6 months until he went to college. He then lived in Cali, Colombia, Ismir, Turkey, Bogota Colombia, Asuncion, Paraguay, LaPaz, Bolivia, San Jose, Costa Rica, Madrid, Spain, Copenhagen, Denmark, Canberra, Australia, and 2 separate assisgnments in Washington, D.C. After receiving a BA in Journalism at Rutgers University in 1958, Ray went to graduate school at the University of Missouri in Columbia, graduating in 1960 with a master’s degree in English. Upon his marriage to Ruth Burlison of Doniphan, Missouri, he taught and directed courses in English as a Foreign Language in Colombia for 2 years, then in Ismir, Turkey, at the Turkish Air Force Academy on a USAF contract. In 1964-65 he taught English and coached the track team in Brevard Junior College in North Carolina. He was especially proud of coaching his track team to the national championships. Ray began his career with U. S. Information Agency as a Grantee and eventually became a career Foreign Service Officer and First Secretary in the Diplomatic Service. From 1965-75, he was first Director of English language courses at the binational Cultural Center in Bogota, Colombia, and then Center Director in Paraguay, Bolivia and Costa Rica. In San Jose he supervised the building of a then state-of-the-art BNC which featured 20 classrooms, cafeteria, library and 310 seat theater. In Washington from 1975-79 he served in Cultural Centers Management Office, then was Congressional Correspondent on Capitol Hill. From 1979-82 Ray was Press Officer at the Embassy in Madrid and from 1982-87 Press Attache’ in Copenhagan. (He was a Press Officer for President Carter’s visit to Madrid in 1980 and President Reagan’s visit to Ireland in 1984.) From 1987-91 Ray directed USIA’s office of Foreign Media Reaction in Washington preparing daily press summaries for the President, Secretary of State and other senior officers. He also participated in G-7 Summits in Venice and Toronto and the Bush/Gorbachev summit in Washington in 1990. Ray ended his career with 4 years as Press Attache’ in Canberra, Australia, from 1991-1994. He received meritorious Honor Awards for service in Denmark and Australia and Group Superior Honor Award for Media Reaction office in Washington. He originally got his start writing sports articles for the Rutgers Targum and picked it back up as a Congressional Correspondent. He wrote lots of speeches for Ambassadors, background papers, talking points, etc. After retiring in 1994, they moved back to Ruth’s family farm home in Doniphan, in the southeast part of the Missouri Ozarks. He wrote a county history and helped edit 2 county history books. He has published numerous historical and travel articles and book reviews in area newspapers including the St. Louis “Post Dispatch”. He has also had articles published in the Foreign Service Journal, Ozark Mountaineer and the Potomac Review. Ray was very involved in numerous community affairs including the Heritage Museum, the Doniphan Neighborhood Assistance Program, the Historical Society, and was a member of the National Association of Retired Federal Employees and the Ripley County Library Board. Ray was instrumental in getting the old Plunk Schoolhouse relocated to Doniphan a few years ago and this undertaking has been a real educational tool for area citizens and students. On October 12, 1960, he was married to Ruth Burlison in Cali, Colombia, and she survives. Also surviving are 2 children: Matt Burson of Vienna, Virginia, and Joyce Burson (Matt) Corell of Finksburg, Maryland; 1 brother, Donald Burson of Columbia, South Carolina; and 1 grandchild, Claire Burson (Aonghus) Collins of Dublin, Ireland. Mr. Burson was preceded in death by his parents and 1 brother, Richard Burson. A memorial service will be held Friday, February 10, 2017, at the Edwards Funeral Home in Doniphan from 4 - 7 p.m. Memorials may be made to the Doniphan Neighborhood Assistance Program (DNAP) or the Doniphan Historical Society.