John Robert Burgess, Jr.

John Robert Burgess Jr., known as Beau to all knew and loved him, passed away at his New Orleans home on Friday, January 15, 2021, at the age of 45. He will be remembered as a cherished son, brother, uncle, nephew, cousin, coworker and friend with an incomparable joie de vivre.  

Blessed with both a natural talent for entertainingand easygoing sense of humor, Beau had a zest for life and was always up for an adventure. He was filled with wonder for the world and appreciation for nature’s beauty –often picking wildflowers to bring to his mom.

He had a servant’s heart, believing that everyone deserves kindness, and was known for lifting others up and providing comfort – whether through a meal, warm place to stay, listening ear or encouragement. He traded judgmentfor compassion in all things. Anyone who spent time with Beau always felt better about their situation and themselves.

Born November 6, 1975,Beau was destined to follow his own path, inspiring those he met with his “up for anything” taste for fun and good-natured tomfoolery.

Formally trained at the Culinary Arts Institute of Louisiana, he relished any opportunity to craft an extraordinary meal regardless of circumstances or available ingredients – often using every utensil available and leaving an incredibly messy kitchen in his wake. When a well-equipped kitchen or pantry was unavailable, Beau was undaunted in his desire to create, famously preparing eggs on an engine manifold on a Caribbean island in the aftermath of Hurricane Michael. His extraordinary ability to adapt and transform ingredients earned him quite the reputation as the “MacGyver” of cuisine.

As versatile as he was kind-hearted, Beau graduated with honors from Florida International University in Miami with a bachelor’s degree in Management through their School of Hospitality and Tourism Management in 2007. In 2016, he graduated from the National Emergency Medical Service Academy in Covington, La., earning certification as an emergency medical technician through the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians. He earned recertification in 2019.

Beau was a devoted godfather to his nephew, Harrison Stafford Wright, to whom he would bestow an interest in the game of chess, as well as outrageous gifts, including an enormous plush rabbit and panda bear. (While equally over-the-top, a gift of a replica R2-D2 suitcase has proven more practical.) His orchestration of Harrison’s elaborate christening party, which featured watermelon soup and other unique delicacies, is a treasured memory.

Beau was well-traveled. A sometimes resident of Hawaii, Baton Rouge, Colorado, Seattle, St. Croix, New Orleans, Asheville and many points in between, Beau has a community of friends across the globe that will remember and miss his loyalty, infectious laugh and warm companionship.  As with his love of fine cuisine, he believed that no gathering was complete without good music. He amassed a catalog of 20,000+ songs on his laptop, which will eternally be with him. When Beau was around, music was around. He used music as a tool to establish connections with others.  

Beau is survived by his father and mother, the Honorable Judge John Robert Burgess Sr. and Beverly Sharp Burgess of Springfield, La.; his sister Margaret Burgess Wright, brother-in-law Brad Wright, and his godson, Harrison – all of Atlanta, Ga.; and numerous cousins, aunts and uncles. He is preceded in death by his maternal grandparents, Wiley Howard Sharp Sr. and Melanie Ledet Sharp; and paternal grandparents, Charles Donald Burgess and Harryotte Fick Burgess.

Funeral arrangements were entrusted to Harry McKneely and Son of Hammond. The Very Reverend Paul M. Bailey, M.Div., Rector of Grace Memorial Episcopal Church in Hammond, led private funeral services on January 19, 2021 with interment at Greenlawn Cemetery in Hammond.

Gary Paul Achord, Tyson Bollow, Michael Sharp Jr., Michael Sharp Sr., Daniel Sledge and Brad Wright served as pallbearers.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations in Beau’s name toward the preservation of his childhood home, Carter House, which is on the National Register of Historic Places for Louisiana. Donations should be mailed to the Historic Carter House Society, P.O. Box 1182, Springfield, La. 70462.

A guest book is available at www.harrymckneely.com.

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