ALCOA, Tenn. –– Former Sequim Police Chief Ken Burge died July 14 of an undisclosed illness at his home in Alcoa, Tenn.
Burge served as chief in Sequim from October 2002 to September 2004.
He was hired as chief in Alcoa but had been on leave since November 2012, according to The Daily Times of Maryville, Tenn.
“He was a great guy — full of energy and always with a joke,” said Walt Schubert, who was mayor of Sequim during the time Burge served as chief.
Burge replaced Byron Nelson as Sequim police chief. After taking the post in Alcoa, Burge was succeeded in Sequim by former Chief Robert Spinks.
Burge had told the Peninsula Daily News that he went to Tennessee to be closer to his children.
A funeral was held July 17 in Tennessee. Burge was to be buried in his hometown of Fairview Heights, Ill.
Police career
His police career started as an officer in his hometown before serving as the chief of police departments in Indianola, Iowa; Glendale, Colo.; Sequim; and Alcoa.
Burge trained at the FBI Academy in 1995 and was a lifetime member of the International Association of Chiefs of Police.
According to his obituary from the Smith Funeral Home in Maryville, Burge was fond of Jimmy Buffet’s music, traveling and science, especially astronomy.
He is survived by his wife of 45 years, Bettiann; two children; one grandson; a brother; and a sister.
The family has established the Kenneth Burge Memorial Fund at the Alcoa Tennessee Credit Union, P.O. Box 9001, Alcoa, TN 37701, or at www.atfcu.com.
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Sequim-Dungeness Valley Editor Joe Smillie can be reached at 360-681-2390, ext. 5052, or at jsmillie@peninsuladailynews.com.
