Edsel Lee Burris

August 27, 1933 - January 25, 2022

Edsel Lee Burris passed away peacefully on Tuesday afternoon, January 25, 2022, in Knoxville, Tennessee with his daughter Amy, son-in-law Gregg, granddaughter Savannah, and grandson-in-law Christopher by his side. Edsel was born to the late Arthur Lee Burris and Mary Wilhoit Burris on August 27, 1933 in LaFollette, Tennessee. Edsel was a devoted brother to his siblings Helen Stevens, Thelma Lewallen, Mabel Lovely, Ruth Brown, Arthur Jr., and Wilma Burris, and a loving husband to his wife of fifty-nine years, Jeana Burris. Edsel lived an exceptional life in East Tennessee, centered around his family, friends, and career as a Tennessee Highway Patrolman. After graduating from Campbell County High School and serving as a military policeman overseas in the Korean Conflict, Edsel joined the Tennessee Highway Patrol. Committed to his career, Edsel rose through the ranks to Captain, all while raising cattle on and caring for his family’s ancestral farm in LaFollette. Edsel retired from the Tennessee Highway Patrol in 1990, and he was beloved and respected by his fellow patrolmen and the East Tennessee community. Edsel and his wife Jeana lived in Greeneville and Madisonville Tennessee before settling in Halls Crossroads in Knoxville, Tennessee. Edsel was a kind and affectionate mother to his daughter Amy Burris Dabney and stepdaughters Glenda Starritt and Kay McCauley, and he was a grandfather who was adored by his grandchildren Shana Jones Manis, Andrew Duncan, Christopher Starritt, Anthony Starritt, Savannah Dabney McCabe, and Rena Grace Dabney. Edsel is preceded in death by his wife, Jeana Young Burris; his parents, Arthur Lee Burris and Mary Wilhoit Burris; his siblings, Helen Stevens, Thelma Lewallen, Mabel Lovely, Ruth Brown, Arthur Jr., and Wilma Burris; his stepdaughter, Glenda Self Starritt; and his granddaughter, Shana Jones Manis. Edsel is survived by his daughter Amy Burris Dabney (Gregg), his stepdaughter Kay Self McCauley (Richard); and his grandchildren, Christopher Starritt, Anthony Starritt, Andrew Duncan, Savannah Dabney McCabe (Christopher), and Rena Grace Dabney. There will be a receiving of friends to honor Edsel on Monday, January 31, 2022 from 4:30 PM to 6:30 PM, followed by a memorial service, at Rose Mortuary located at 1421 N. Broadway, Knoxville, Tennessee 37917. On Tuesday, February 1, 2022, there will be a burial service at 11 AM at Lynnhurst Cemetery, located at 2300 West Adair Drive, Knoxville, Tennessee 37918. Online obituary may be viewed and condolences extended at www.rosefuneraltn.com.