Darrell Burris

On a cool November day in 1934, in a small Oklahoma house with a dirt floor, Darrell Gene Burris began his journey, touching the lives of thousands. What day, exactly, that was, became a point of contention, because the doctor went on vacation and ultimately forgot the exact date he was born.

“I remember,” his mother Ruby would tell him. “I was there.”

From that humble start, Darrell began a life filled with service to others, not only because it was his faith, but also part of his being. He helped his late father Gene Burris paint and wallpaper houses at a very young age. When his sister Paula (Burris) Casey and brother Randy Burris were born, he helped his mother shower them with love.

When he was just 17-years-old, he saw a tall, beautiful girl walking to school and asked if she wanted a ride. Despite being a baseball, basketball, boxing, and football star as well as a handsome high school teen, she told him “no.” Day after day he would drive by her and ask again until finally, she agreed to have a coke with him after school. Less than a year later, when Mary Lou Porter was just 15-years-old she and Darrell snuck off to get married.

For six months they kept their marriage a secret by continuing to live with their families and longing to be together. Her father was furious and threatened to annul the marriage when he discovered it. Darrell fought to keep Mary Lou and they remained married for 35 years until one freezing day in 1987 when she was taken too soon in a tragic car accident on the Overholser Bridge on Route 66 near Bethany, Oklahoma. She was just 50-years-old. He would never remarry.

Besides Darrell’s love for his wife Mary Lou, he loved his family and many friends. He enjoyed the service members he met during his basic training in the U.S. Army at Ft. Sill, Ft. Polk and Ft. Belvoir. He excelled at artillery, but one day he confessed to his commanding officer that he didn’t think he could ever kill another person because he was a Christian. Instead of sending him for further combat training, they sent Darrell to the Ft. Belvoir print shop, where he learned a trade that would carry through the rest of his life.

Civilian life allowed Darrell to use his printing skills by working at several companies including OPUBCO while always dreaming of owning his own shop. In 1979 in Oklahoma City he finally achieved his goal and opened Burris Printing. The company printed material for many clients including Braum’s Ice Cream & Dairy, the National Weather Service Training Center in Norman, Oklahoma, and Stucky’s Diamonds in Houston, Texas, just to mention a few.

When his granddaughter Sarah Katheryn was born, Darrell and Mary Lou’s lives changed forever. After his wife’s death, it was his time with Sarah he said, that saved him. “You’re going to have to learn how to use the dishwasher,” Darrell remembered Sarah telling him. At age 6, Sarah literally saved him when he accidentally caught his kitchen on fire while cooking as he watched a basketball game on TV despite the house filling with smoke. There were also times Sarah tried to force him to eat his vegetables and she would later find them hidden in his napkin. Darrell struggled with diabetes and she would frequently find his freezer full of Nutty-Buddies and chocolate milk.

His Yukon, Oklahoma home frequently became a favorite place for his granddaughter’s giggling teenage friends to hold their slumber parties and New Year’s sleepovers. To this day, a whole generation of Yukon graduates, teachers, and administration staff refers to him as “Papa.”

After retiring from printing, Darrell joined the team at Lowe’s working part-time, always promising his customers 10% discounts. He enjoyed using his time away from Lowe’s at the Yukon Bowling Alley where he volunteered to teach over a hundred children in youth bowling classes. Many of his students even went on to win tournaments. Darrell’s family and friends lost track of the number of perfect score-300 games he bowled but each game would bring a gold ring he kept lined up in his sock drawer.

Darrell joined his wife Mary Lou in Heaven on Wednesday, April 22, 2020. His granddaughter Sarah and his sister Paula lovingly held his hands while playing his favorite Elvis songs.

Those left behind are his sister, Paula (Burris) Casey and husband Mike Casey of Oklahoma City, brother Randy Burris and wife Vicki of Sautee Nacoochee, Georgia, son Michael Burris and wife Susan of Yukon, son Samuel Burris of Los Angeles, California, granddaughter Sarah Burris of Washington, D.C. as well as nephews Michael Siekel and wife Jeri of Oklahoma City, Scott Wallace and wife Jennifer of Southlake, Texas, nieces Jennifer Burris and Andee Allen of Georgia as well as great-nephews and nieces Lucas, Lilyan, Jacob, Brandon Kyle and Dee.

Neurologists were never able to fully diagnose Darrell’s dementia. There were suspicions of Alzheimer’s Disease, questions about CTE and others. So, Darrell donated his brain to the Boston University’s study with the Veterans Administration investigating how concussions can contribute to degenerative brain diseases. The family’s hope is that their struggles to diagnose him and searches for solutions for care can help other families.

Barrett Callaghan

Son, brother, loyal friend, athlete. Barrett Callaghan had many titles and lived his life with love and compassion for those around him.

Barrett loved sports and was an incredible athlete from an early age; his family even calls him “sports obsessed.” Sports were his life, and he was interested in many of them: baseball, football, basketball, and golf. His level of sports knowledge was unmatched, and he was an athlete for years.

Barrett played baseball from the age of five through the end of high school and he played on his high school’s basketball team during his freshman year. Golf was also a favorite of his and he accomplished his goal of a “hole in one” the year before he passed.

One of Barrett’s favorite sports was football and he fell in love with it at a very early age. As a kindergartner, he watched his older brother play and begged his parents to find a team for him so he could start in first grade. At the age of seven, his football career was launched. Being one of the smaller boys on the team, he quickly discovered using his head was his biggest asset. He played football through high school, where he was a standout player and teammate.

Besides athletics, Barrett, affectionately known as “Bear” and “Bearbo,” was known for his big heart. His love for his family was indescribable and he truly enjoyed gatherings, holidays, and vacations and attending Chicago White Sox games together. His family described his motto as “When in Need, I’m There.” Barrett was the kind of person that protected underdogs and always stood up for anyone in need. He was a loyal friend who always had the back of anyone he knew.

As time went on, his family noticed changes in his demeanor. He had mood swings and moments where he was out of character. His temper was quick and his sleep schedule was very erratic. It didn’t take long to notice that what was happening to him was out of his control.

Barrett struggled with his mental state for years. He went away to college for a couple of years but couldn’t finish. Coming home and attending a local college was his next step.

These changes scared Barrett and he often was embarrassed and remorseful for things he had said or done. His mother recalled a conversation where he begged her, saying, “Mom, please make it stop.” His desperation to figure out what was going on in his brain led him to discover for himself what he was battling. Barrett suspected he may have CTE, and his mother had thought the same.

Barrett passed away on September 26, 2021, in a car accident when a wrong-way driver hit him head on. He was 25 years old at the time and only 10 days shy of turning 26.

Barrett’s family, parents Rich and Jan, and siblings Richie, Mary Caroline, and Catie, donated his brain to the VA-BU-CLF Brain Bank, where he was diagnosed with stage 1 CTE by researchers. His diagnosis was not a surprise and the symptoms he experienced are common among individuals suffering from CTE. His mother said the disease robbed him of his education, ability to hold a full-time job, and his independence.

Even as Barrett’s personality changed, his family recalled that his heart stayed the same and his compassion and love for those around him never wavered. One of his last gifts was to his Aunt Julie. She celebrated her birthday over Labor Day weekend while still recovering from a recent major surgery. Though big outings were still a little overwhelming for her, Barrett insisted they go to a White Sox game together and she agreed. The game did not disappoint, and she said Barrett was the only one who could have convinced her to go. In his final days, Barrett’s profound love was a reminder to his Aunt Julie to always live life to the fullest, just as he always did.

Barrett once said, “In life, I don’t care to make money, I want to make a difference.” That was something he achieved in his lifetime and will continue to do so: his brain donation will contribute to numerous research studies with the goal of identifying CTE in living persons and eventually finding a cure. His story and legacy will continue to live on and impact current and future athletes for generations to come.