Dear Editor: Burgess’s obituary brought to light his many talents and adventures.
Burgess had another skill and talent. That was teaching.
I attended Sheldon Jackson College in 1973. The forestry degree curriculum included a required class in biology. My first thought was: Why do I need another biology class? I took those in high school.
I did sign up for the class. The professor’s name was listed as a guy named Burgess Bauder.
Wow! What a pleasant surprise. The class was extremely interesting. Dr. Bauder really knew his subject and knew how to get the message across to the students. It was anything but a boring night class. Most of all, it was fun! He constantly had us laughing. He designed the content of the class and he wrote the multi-choice exams. They were full of humor we all enjoyed.
I believe it was the next semester a class was offered in ‘‘Wildlife Management.’’ Taught by none other than Burgess Bauder. It was a popular class because word got around what a good teacher he was. He really knew the material and like in his other class he was good at relaying the information. Sadly he pointed out that most decisions on fish and game management were based on money and politics and not the protection of the species.
Besides his many skills, Burgess was a very kind and compassionate man. Classes had to be canceled at times so he could take care of emergencies with Sitka’s many pets.
My wife battled cancer for 23 years. Every time I had a pet in the clinic or I saw Burgess on the street, he asked how Betsy was doing. They weren’t just words. You could tell that he really cared and was genuinely concerned.
Thanks, Burgess. We will all miss you.
Mike Trainor, Sitka
