Services will be Saturday, June 18, to remember Donald Stuart Burchell, who died Saturday, June 11, in Boulder Creek with his family at his side. He was 80 years old.
Mr. Burchell was born as the only child of Irene and Bruce Burchell in Reno. The family moved to LeGrand when he was a young boy, and he attended LeGrand Elementary and High School. He attended College of Pacific in Stockton (now University of Pacific) for a year and then transferred to California State University, Fresno, before military service interrupted his schooling.
He married Wilma Jean Barnes in Clovis in 1952, just a few weeks before his induction into the Army. He was selected to train at the military police academy and served 18 months of his two years in South Returning to school, he completed a degree in business and obtained his teaching credential.
Mr. Burchell first taught business classes at Watsonville High School. After some postgraduate studies at the University of Colorado in business and computer science, he began to teach at Foothill College in Los Altos Hills and then DeAnza College in Cupertino. He was also a consultant in the development and design of the business computer lab at the then-new DeAnza campus, where he taught and retired after 27 years of service.
Mr. Burchell committed his life to Christ as a young man. After the Burchell family moved to Boulder Creek in 1967, he served some of the local San Lorenzo Valley churches. He was a board member and Sunday school teacher at Redwood Christian Center in Felton and then at Boulder Creek Community Church. Relatives said he loved seeing each of his children follow Jesus.
Mr. Burchell’s pastimes included spending time with family and friends, buying and selling cars, tinkering in his shop, interests in baseball-style hats, watches, coffee shops, doughnuts, minimal exercise, and visiting car shows, thrift stores and flea markets.
He survived by his wife of 58 years, Wilma Burchell; six children, Rick Burchell of Eagle River, Alaska, Rhonda Liebig of Salinas, Rochelle Lyke of Castroville, Rodney Burchell of Santa Cruz and Rebekah Crill of Boulder Creek and Royal Burchell of Eureka; 23 grandchildren; and nine great-grandchildren.
Saturday’s memorial service will begin at 3 p.m. at Boulder Creek Community Church, 13090 Highway 9.
In lieu of flowers, contributions may be sent to St. John’s Helpful Shop, 101 Capitola Ave., Capitola, CA 95010; or Valley Churches United Missions, 9400 Highway 9, Ben Lomond, CA 95005.
