Obituary: Bob Burgin

Robert “Bob” Duaine Burgin of Arlington, Baptist missionary, pastor and public school educator, died Aug. 19. He was 87. He was born March 3, 1935, to Joseph and Beulah Mae Burgin in Jewett, the youngest of seven children. After he graduated from Jewett High School, he continued his education at Sam Houston State Teachers College and Arlington State College. He later went on to earn a master’s degree from North Texas State University, and Dallas Baptist University awarded him an honorary doctorate. Burgin served in the U.S. Army from 1958 to 1962, including a 13-month assignment in South Korea. During that time, he and his wife Tillie fell in love with the Korean people and their country. After his time in the service, they returned to Arlington where he finished his student teaching and then took his first teaching job at Carter Junior High School. He later went on to teach at Arlington High School and Shackelford Junior High School before he served as assistant principal of Hutcheson and Gunn Junior High Schools, assistant principal and principal at Nichols Junior High, and principal of Arlington High School. When Bob and Tillie Burgin answered God’s call to missions, they served in Seoul, Korea, from 1966 to 1971 and 1976 to 1979. He served as a pastor through Mission Arlington since it began in 1986, most recently as the pastor of Parkview Fellowship Church. In January 1999, Burgin came out of retirement and returned to the classroom as a professor at Dallas Baptist University, where he spent the next 20 years. He is survived by his wife, Tillie; son Jim and his wife Debbie; son Rick and his wife Allison; five grandchildren; two great grandchildren; sister Imogene Freeman and brother Edgar Burgin. Visitation is scheduled from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Aug. 24 at Wade Family Funeral Home in Arlington. His memorial service will be at 1 p.m. on Aug. 26 at Parkview Fellowship Church. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Mission Arlington.