Terry Burgess was born in Prince George in 1936 and grew up in South Fort George.
His mother Helen Devauld was born in Vanderhoof. His father Terrance Burgess arrived in Canada in 1927 from Lewiston, Montana.
Terry had two younger brothers, Ernie and Ray, and a step brother Harry.
In March of 1947, his mother died of cancer and later that same year his father came down with polio. Terry was only 11 years old but he remembers that it was a tough time for the family.
"There was no source of income at the time and for the most part my grandmother looked after us as housekeepers came and went. We had a very supportive community especially Mrs. Bricker who had her own family of Gene, Leslie, Barbara and Madeline. It wasn't easy and to this day I thank God for the Christmas hampers of food and toys from the Salvation Army," he said.
Terry had a special story he wanted to share and said, "It was Halloween in 1948; the merchants in the city put out 'Halloween shell out tickets' that homeowners received with various purchases around town. The idea was that trick or treaters would get a ticket with their treat followed by a party at the arena when all the kids would turn in their tickets and perhaps win a prize.
"The top prize was a brand-new bicycle. I had collected only a few tickets and went to the arena just for the fun of it. When the name of the person who collected the most tickets was announced it was me. I couldn't believe it! I found out later that it was a classmate that organized a whole bunch of people into turning in their tickets in my name. Her name was Charlene Tennesy. I don't think she ever fully knew just what a God send that bicycle was for me. I was 12 years old and I delivered over 40 papers that I had to pick up in Prince George and then deliver to my customers in South Fort George. I was so thankful and my life suddenly became a whole lot nicer."
At the age of 14, Terry joined the Royal Canadian Air Cadets; from 1950 to 1984 he rose through the ranks as the supply officer and then lieutenant with a short stint in the Royal Canadian Air Force.
Over the years, he taught armament and bush survival in adult education programs and flight schools in the Conservation and Outdoor Recreation Education (CORE) program.
The CORE program consists of a practical firearm handling test followed by a written examination.
Terry said, "I met Joellen Naef in high school although I was on my way out and she was just starting high school.
"I was in the high school band and played the drums. I happened to catch the eye of the band trumpet player Joellen Naef and the rest is history."
Joellen Naef was born in Giscome in 1941 the second eldest of the six children of Wallace and Madeline Naef. Her father worked for Eagle Lake sawmills as a planer foreman.
Her parents moved to Burnaby and then Quesnel for a short while and then back to Prince George when Joellen was ten years old.
She grew up and went to school in Prince George. After graduation, she went to work for the Bank of Commerce in 1958.
Terry and Joellen married in 1959 and when the first baby arrived Joellen had to quit her job at the bank because there was no such thing as a maternity leave at that point in time. Several years later she went back to work and worked for the Royal Bank and retired in 1993 after a very successful career of 30 years of service in the banking industry.
Joellen said, "It was a great job and I met many wonderful people along the way. We retired, traveled and golfed, and in fact we know all the golf courses in B.C. with RV Parks on them."
Terry explains, "Like every Prince George boy my career started out in the sawmills where I swamped on a truck, drove truck, fed the planer, fed the re-saw and kept books.
"By 1958 I found a job in geotechnical engineering with the highways department. I spent many weeks away from my family working out in tent camps on Highway 16 before it was built or on the John Hart Highway just after it was built.
"I spent 37 years with the Ministry of Transportation and Highways and retired as an area manager in 1994. It was a great job. My area covered everything north of Williams Lake to the Yukon border and everything east and west in between.
"I met some mighty fine people and I got to know the upper half of British Columbia quite well.
"The job was a perfect fit for me because there was no desk work, I traveled and it was a hands-on job.
"In 1988 the job changed dramatically when highways became privatized.
"When I retired I became involved in senior's issues and worked as a trained senior's advocate for four years. During this time, I worked on the committee to get the Geriatric Assessment and Treatment Unit (GAT) opened and staffed here in Prince George."
Terry ran for a director's position on the Regional District of Fraser-Fort George (RDFFG) in 1999 and won. He lost the following election and successfully ran again in 2008 and has served as a director ever since. He presently sits on the board as vice chair.
The RDFFG was incorporated in 1967 and the board members represent an area of 50,676 square kilometers including Prince George, Mackenzie, Valemount, McBride and the seven smaller electoral areas: Area A, C, D, E, F, G and H.
Terry was elected as the director of Electoral Area G, Crooked River-Parsnip which occupies over 18,000 square kilometers stretching north of Prince George to the Pine Pass. Communities include Summit Lake, Bear Lake, McLeod Lake and Mackenzie with approximately 350 residents in the rural area.
He has been a member of the Royal Canadian Legion for 48 years.
He volunteered at the farm at the Huble Homestead Historic Site and served on the board for ten years as the treasurer. He recently retired because he felt that they needed younger people.
Terry and Joellen lived in the Summit Lake area for 22 years and then moved into town. Joellen served as the treasurer for the Summit Lake Community Association for about 20 years.
They both belong to the British Columbia Government Retired Employees' Association (BCGREA) and Joellen is the treasurer of the Prince George Branch #1600.
Terry and Joellen had two children Helen (Gary) Evans and Jeff. They have three grandchildren and one greatgrandchild.
They were married in 1959 and will celebrate 59 years of marriage this year - 59 for 59!
