Wriley Leon Burnett

Wriley Leon Burnett passed away peacefully at home October 17, 2017 surrounded by his loved ones.  He was born September 30th, 1932 in Sudan, Texas and was the middle child of seven children.  His father’s job brought him to New Mexico when he was only two years old.  He was preceded in death by his wife of 56 years Patsy Joan Burnett and their son Roger Burnett.   He is survived by his wife Nancy Burnett, his son Wriley Lynn and wife Kathy, and their two children Tanya and Wriley “Jay”, son David Lee and wife Diana, and their three children, David, Deborah and Danielle and great grandson Joshua, and his son Rick and wife Rose and their daughter Alana.

Wriley lived a full and happy life.  As a boy he would go do odd jobs for neighbors.  He liked to spend time with two old spinster teachers who would pay him with milk and cookies, and access to their library.  Wriley loved to read and learn new things. He also enjoyed spending his time at the movie theater. He would tell stories about times he’d spend a nickel at the theater for popcorn and watch movie after movie all day long. Life wasn’t easy as he was growing up. He dropped out of school at age 14 to help support his family, and began working as a truck driver. He also worked at a sawmill as a teenager and would come home at the end of each day covered in sawdust earning him the nickname “Dusty”, which many people referred to him by.  At 18, much to the dismay of her parents, Wriley eloped with the love of his life, Patsy.  They spent 56 wonderful and blessed years together.  Wriley enlisted in the US Air force during the Korean conflict when he was 20 years old.  He wanted to be a mechanic in the Air Force, however, due to his excellent performance on his aptitude tests he was assigned as an air traffic controller. Wriley always seemed to have a guardian angel watching over him.  Due to the birth of his first-born, days before he was supposed to be shipped out, he did not travel with the rest of his platoon to Korea.  He and one other person were the only survivors of his platoon.  During his tour of duty he served all over the United States and in England.  He received an honorable discharge from the Air Force in 1957 to work for the FAA in Albuquerque New Mexico. During his work with the FAA he was on the ground floor of computer programing for air traffic control, writing many programs.   Some of them are still in use today. He worked until his retirement at age 47 in 1979.

Wriley kept busy as he served his church community by helping to build both Netherwood and Avalon Church of Christ in Albuquerque New Mexico where is served as an Elder and performed many wedding ceremonies including 2 of his sons. He was a founding member of the Del Norte Gun club, where he enjoyed skeet shooting, and won many tournaments.  He also enjoyed waterskiing with his friends and family.  He would often tell funny stories of an inner tubing trip he took with his sons and friends down the Gila River. He enjoyed many happy hunting trips with his brothers and deep sea fishing in the Gulf of Mexico.  In 1985 he moved to Pendaries, New Mexico with Patsy, where he built his own home and enjoyed golfing nearly every day.  He and Patsy loved Pendaries.  Wriley and his brother would host annual family golf tournaments for their families and friends.  Their family visited often, spending time golfing, playing pool, and taking in the beautiful landscape and wildlife.  Pendaries quickly became a favorite and memorable place for the entire family.

He and Patsy moved back to Albuquerque in 2003 to be closer to the family they cherished dearly, especially the grandchildren.  In 2007 Patsy passed and Wriley had a loss of direction for a while until he started spending time with Nancy.  Nancy moved in with Wriley to help take care of him, but as they spent more time together their relationship began to blossom and in 2010 they got married.  Wriley spent his last seven years spending time with family and friends.  Wriley and Nancy spent their time doing projects around the house, watching Jeopardy and Wheel of Fortune, and dining at one of his favorite places to eat, Village Inn.  Wriley often loved to write rebuttals to articles in the Albuquerque Journal, many of which were published. He also enjoyed playing pranks on friends and family members. He will be remembered for his sharp wit, quick comebacks, and keen sense of humor.  Not enough can be said about Wriley. His laughter, intelligence, and generosity will be remembered by many for years to come.  He will always be loved and truly be missed by all who knew him. In lieu of flowers the family suggests donations go to the Hospice of New Mexico at www.hospiceofnewmexico.com/contact/ or at 2900 Louisiana #E Albuquerque, NM 87110. A Memorial Service will be held Saturday, November 4, 2017 at 3:00 p.m. at Church of Christ, 1006 22nd St. SE Rio Rancho, NM 87124. A Graveside Service will be held Wednesday, November 8, 2017 at 3:00 p.m. at Santa Fe National Cemetery. Please visit our online guestbook for Wriley at www.FrenchFunerals.com.

FRENCH – Westside

9300 Golf Course Rd NW

505-897-0300