Obituary of Preston Burtis

Preston A. Burtis, Jr., age 86, died Wed., March 22, 2006, at his home in Garden City, KS. He was born June 10, 1919 @ Garden City, KS the son of Preston Arthur Sr. "Cap" and Elizabeth "Bess" Hopkins Burtis. A lifetime Garden City resident, he was a previous owner of Burtis Motors. Following his graduation from the University of Kansas, he served in the Pacific theater as a Naval Lieutenant Commander on the USS Abner Reed during WW II. Upon returning, he married Mary Louise Hauber and then took over Burtis Motors from his father and Lester McCoy, moving it from downtown Main Street to it's present location on Kansas Ave. and received numerous awards and accomplishments for outstanding sales. He was a member of St. Dominic Catholic Church of Garden City, Beta Theta Pi Fraternity at KU, and was a Civic leader of numerous local, state & national organizations. He enjoyed traveling with his wife and had additional homes in Grand Lake, CO & Jupiter, FL. On Feb. 26, 1949, he married Mary "We-C" Louise Hauber in Kansas City. She died on April 20, 2005 in Garden City. Survivors include 2 Sons: Spencer H. Burtis and Preston "Burt" A. Burtis III, both of Garden City, Kansas; 2 Daughters: Rebecca Burtis and Aurel Burtis both of Grand Lake, Colorado; 1 Brother: Guy Spencer Burtis of Colorado Springs, CO; 3 Grandchildren and 2 Great-Grandchildren. He was preceded in death by a brother â Bob "Boo" Burtis. Memorial Mass will be at 10:30am on Wednesday, March 29, 2006 at St. Dominic Catholic Church in Garden City, with Father Joseph Bahr presiding. Inurnment will be at Valley View Cemetery in Garden City, Kansas with Military Rites conducted. There will be no public visitation. Family requests, in lieu of flowers, memorials may be given to Finney County Humane Society or St. Dominic Catholic Church, both in care of Price & Sons Funeral Home.