In memoriam: Lee Burgess

Lynden Chairman Jim Jansen (left) and Lee Burgess (right).

Lynden mourns the loss of a Lynden Legend with the passing of Alcan Driver Lee Burgess last month. Lee was one of the early tough and courageous drivers who pioneered service up the Alcan Highway in the 1950s. He will be remembered for his character, driving skill, and warm, friendly personality.

Hired in 1957 at age 21, Lee started driving for Lynden in his hometown of Lynden, WA. With a few years of experience driving log trucks, and a wife and three small children at home, Lee's focus was getting freight delivered intact and on time and getting back home to his family safely. He remembered hauling coal from Cle Elum, WA, mine tailings – just about anything else Lynden could find to load in its trailers at that time. Eventually he was assigned to the "meat haul" as he called it, hauling fresh meat to Carrs in Fairbanks and Anchorage. He was on the road for 28 days straight one winter, and continually pulled cars out of the snow to rescue drivers.

"I had more flat tires, frozen fuel lines and mud than any other driver in Alaska," he said, often while driving Old No. 27, Lynden's 1954 Kenworth tractor and trailer. One of Lee's favorite stories to tell was about Hank Jansen buying him an airline ticket back from Fairbanks to Seattle when Lee's daughter needed emergency eye surgery. Hank also took care of the doctor bill behind the scenes.

After retiring from Lynden in 2001, Lee decided to get back behind the wheel at age 76 to help DeLong Mountain Logistics at Red Dog Mine in 2015. He also drove No. 27 to parades and truck shows for many years.

Lee's son, Dave, started working for LTI, Inc./Milky Way in 1974 and is still on the job driving today. "When I was 9 years old, my dad took me on a ride-along to Fairbanks," he says. "In 1966, you had to get permission to take passengers. Dad ran pretty steady on the Alaska route for about 10 years. I only saw him once a week when he was home, but we always took long summer vacations. He always enjoyed being a part of the Lynden family."

Lee and his wife, MaryAnn, devoted an entire room in their home to Lynden memorabilia collected by Lee during his many decades with the company. It includes letters from Hank Jansen, Lee's original metal trip log from his first trip in a Lynden truck, award plaques for safe driving, jackets, hats, and stacks of pictures and scrapbooks.

"Lee's contributions to Lynden will forever be remembered by those who worked with him, and by those who benefited from his gregarious personality, hard work and dedication to the company," says Chairman Jim Jansen. "He was a bridge to our early history and a role model to our drivers and employees. We are grateful to him for his commitment to Lynden and its people."