Dr. Mack Burriss Passes Away at 101 (Update)
Updated, Sept. 10 with obituary information
Greg Wilson/Anderson Observer
Mention Dr. William “Mack” Burriss, who passed away Saturday at age 101, and you will likely be met with a smile and words of praise from those who just hear his name.
His years of community service as a veterinarian, following in the footsteps of his father, and dedication to community service left a legacy on Anderson of which few others can boast.
“Dr. Burriss was very kind and wise,” said Bill Baker, who served as Anderson School Dist. 5 Communications Director while Burriss was a board member. “He was always calm and showed great judgement, especially when things were difficult. If I had a problem, person or professional, he was the one I would go to for advice.”
His love of animals led him to serve the key role in founding the Anderson County Humane Society and animal shelter in 1974, and the original county shelter was named after him. By the time retired from his veterinary work in 2009, he had performed more than 30,000 surgeries at the shelter’s spay/neuter clinic.
Burriss was also a tireless advocate for public school education, spending more than 35 years on the Anderson School Dist. 5 Board of Trustees.
“I strongly believe in education and it was more a pleasure than a chore to serve on the school board,” said Burriss with his trademark smile, in one of our interviews over the years.
His calm, but firm leadership on the board, especially as chairman, is credited with helping set the stage for progress in the district.
Burriss was chosen as South Carolina's Distinguished Veterinarian of the Year in 2006, was honored by the United Way of Anderson County as their Communitarian of the Year in 2010, and awarded the distinguished alumni award from Auburn in 2012.
A sixth-generation Andersonian, he graduated from Boys High School in 1939, where he played football for the legendary Frog Reames. He started his higher education path at The Citadel, hoping to move on to West Point, but a failed eye test led him to transfer to Auburn University, where he met his wife, Hellen Joyce Legendre, who died in 2013. After earning his Veterinary Medicine degree at Auburn, he returned to Anderson in 1943, where he practiced until retiring in 1982.
During World War II, Burriss served in the Army Veterinary Corps in Italy, working with horses, which were used to pull wagons and large artillery during the war. Despite his love of horses, Burriss said the work was often in muddy, dangerous and difficult circumstances.
He returned to Anderson, where the Burriss family had settled after leaving Virginia in 1760. He began in practice on a portion of his grandparents’ farm, located not far from the current Anderson County Civic Center. He loved to tell the story of he and a friend running over the Anderson air strip on that site to see Ameila Earhart when she landed her plane here on Nov. 14. 1931.
From his obituary:
“Mack was a long-time member, Sunday school teacher, former deacon, and elder of Central Presbyterian Church. He loved working in his beautiful yard and was known throughout the community for sharing his tomatoes. Mack was an avid tennis player and made many friends on the tennis courts. He also loved spending his weekends at the lake and watching Auburn football games. He was a great father and grandfather. He was adored by his many neighbors and community members. Mack was honorable, generous, and gifted with brilliance and an enormous heart. He was a great man who will be dearly missed by all who knew him. Mack was indeed the definition of a gentleman and a scholar.
Mack is survived by his daughter and full-time caregiver Cindy Ann Burriss, who was his pride and joy. He is also survived by his granddaughters Lauren Chamblee Heaton (Cory) of Chester, Jan Chamblee Martin of Anderson, and Wendy Chamblee of Travelers Rest; and six great-grandchildren, Rylan and Will Heaton, McKinley and Blakely Martin, Caden Hicks, and Carter MacDonald; nieces, Kathy Burriss and Marylin Black (Jerry) of Columbia, Pat Wiley (Marvin) of Granite Falls, NC, and Pheobe Stevens (Richard Pufpaff) of Bluffton; and friend and mentee, Dr. Zach Deegan of Los Angeles, CA.
In addition to his parents, Mack was preceded in death by his wife Helen LeGendre Burriss; son, Charles Douglas “Doug” Burriss; brother, Chadwick W. Burriss; nephew, Chadwick W. Burriss Jr.; sister, Theodosia “Tedo” Burriss Willis; and nephew Scott Willis.
A graveside service will be held Monday, September 18, 2023, at 11 a.m. at Old Silver Brook Cemetery with Reverend Dr. Michael York and Reverend Noelle Read officiating. The family will be at the residence and will greet family and friends immediately following the service.
Memorials may be made to Anderson County Humane Society, 407 Pearman Dairy Rd., Anderson, SC 29625.