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Derick Wade Burleson, 53, was born to Warren and Edith (Weigand) Burleson on September 9, 1963, and passed away at his home in Fairbanks, Alaska, after a lengthy and unknown illness. Derick grew up in Cherokee, OK, attending and graduating Cherokee High School in 1981, where he excelled in speech, FFA, football and track. He earned a Degree in Journalism from OSU in Stillwater, OK, a Masters Degree in Fine Arts at the University of Montana, in Missoula, Montana, a Masters in Advanced English at Kansas State University in Manhattan, Kansas, and a Doctorate in both Advanced English and Creative Writing at the University of Houston, TX.
He spent nearly two years in Rwanda, Africa, teaching advanced English to University students preparing to come to the United States to obtain a higher education. He returned to the United States when civil war broke out and became perilous in Rwanda. He received several awards for many of his writings, including the very prestigious Felix Pollack writing award. He had four books and several papers and poems published. He taught Creative Writing and Advanced English as a tenured professor for the past fifteen years at the University of Alaska in Fairbanks. Although he loved teaching and writing, his true passion was for his daughter, Mirabel, along with hunting and fishing and the great Alaskan outdoors.
He was preceded in death by his mother, Edith; grandparents Jacob (Jake) and Edna Weigand; and grandparents Clyde and Bertha Burleson.
Survivors include his daughter, Mirabel, of the home; father and stepmother, Warren and Meron Burleson, of Cherokee, OK; sister, Gina and husband Cam Pekrul, of Goltry, OK; niece and nephew, Jennifer and Jacob Pekrul, of Goltry, OK; a host of aunts, uncles, cousins; and a multitude of friends.
In lieu of flowers, there has been a tax-deductible education fund set up for his daughter, Mirabel, with The Pioneer Spirit Foundation at the Farmers Exchange Bank in Cherokee, OK, for donations.
There will be a memorial at the University of Alaska in Fairbanks at a later date due to the winter darkness in AK.
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