Life Tributes for the week of 3/25/20

Richard Burfeind

It is with great sadness the family of Richard Burfeind announces his passing on March 7, 2020.

His is survived by his two children: Alan Burfeind and Pearl Burfeind. He was an incredible brother to his five siblings: Sherry Sprungman (John), Kristy Kelly (Kevin), Martin Burfeind (Kim), Stacy Lange (Wade) and Daniel Burfeind (Diane). He is also survived by his stepmother Cecile Burfeind; along with 12 nieces and nephews, and their beautiful children. He left a community of people who loved him and many great friends, including his close friend Christine Clark.

Richard started life in Redwood City, born to William Burfeind and Megan Jordan on August 22, 1951, he was the third of six children. He moved to Plumas County in 1972, and loved living here until his passing. He made a career doing construction with his younger brother, Martin. Martin and he worked all around the county with Burfeind Construction. His family was the most important part of his life, never missing a wedding or family reunion. Among all of his accomplishments being a father was his best. He was very proud of both of his children.

Richard had many passions in life including sailing, motorcycles, card games, music and carpentry. He worked hard to live his passions every day, seizing all of his days. He lived a life that was full of adventure, joy and kindness. His smile and laughter were contagious, he was known for his sense of humor and catalog of jokes. He was an avid lover of animals, especially the two Yorkies and four grand-dogs he left behind.

In lieu of flowers we ask that any contributions are sent to the Plumas County Animal Shelter.

Celebration of life to be held later this year.

William Thomas Perdue

William Thomas Perdue, 69, passed away on March 19, 2020, at his home in Graeagle. Tom was born in Wendell, Idaho, on Dec. 29, 1950, the son of Henrietta Haynes Perdue and William Morton Perdue D.D.

He was a natural athlete at a young age, particularly in football and baseball.Tom attended Feather River College and the University of California, at Berkeley, and graduated with a B.A. in history.

Tom was a true family man. He loved his children unconditionally, taught them the importance of faith in God, humility, courage and forgiveness. He was a diehard Giants fan and he loved to be at the ballpark with his family. He taught his son to fish and they always enjoyed fishing together. He enjoyed gardening, reading, drinking a good cup of coffee, dancing to Elvis and The Beatles and being with the people he loved. Tom was the epitome of kindness to strangers, he made friends with everyone he met and his laugh could empty a movie theater!

He is survived by his wife of 32 years, Jill Perdue; his three daughters, Erica Perdue, Chelsie Taylor, and Rebecca Elizabeth Perdue; his son, William Ryan Perdue; his granddaughters, Analina Siebert and Mabel Rogan; his grandson, on the way; and his three brothers, Howard, Steve, and Jonathan Perdue .

A celebration of life will be held at a later date to be determined. Condolences may be sent to https://www.gofundme.com/f/in-loving-memory-of-tom-perdue.

Kenneth Ray Tucker

If you’ve lived in or visited beautiful Indian Valley any time in the last 40 years, then you’ve probably encountered Kenneth Ray Tucker or just “Ken” to most of the folks in his life. You might have encountered him at the Evergreen Market, a business he poured a nearly endless amount of energy and passion into, or possibly as a member of the Indian Valley Fire and Rescue Team, where he lobbied to add rescue and EMT capabilities to the department.  You might also have met him at a local Rotary fundraiser or at one of the many local school sporting events he attended. As a Rotary service, the family hosted many exchange students and teachers, bringing representatives of the world to Greenville. Even if you never met him in person, you almost certainly felt the impact he had on this community.

Ken was born in Sacramento on Nov. 28, 1947, the first child of Victor and Frances (Hein) Tucker. From them he inherited a passion for amateur radio operation and he earned his ham radio license at the age of 14. Ken and his younger brother David were both Eagle Scouts. He spent summers on his grandfather’s ranch and he credits this experience as one of the sources of his work ethic — we also think it might be the source of his love of tractors.

Ken’s interest and skills in radio proved to be a tremendous advantage in his career as a disc jockey and later as a broadcast news director, but more importantly it led him to the Radio Club at Sacramento State University, where he met the love of his life, Centella Wilson. They were married in 1968, and together they raised three sons: Andrew, Nathan, and Nick. Centella has been his steadfast partner and caretaker for over 50 years.

As a young man, Ken suffered constantly from abdominal pain and when he was 13 years old a specialist diagnosed him with Crohn’s disease. The doctor didn’t sugarcoat the diagnosis and told Ken that his life expectancy was short. At the time he was only expected to live to 19 or 20 years old. The doctor summed up his advice by saying “if there’s anything you want to get done in life, do it now.” This advice shaped the rest of Ken’s life, which turned out to be far longer than anyone expected.As treatment options and medical technologies improved, Ken survived and thrived for several more decades than anyone could have predicted in 1961. That advice, though, remained a motivating force for Ken and was a memory he often shared with his children. In recent years, as the challenges of his health have caught up with him, he’s reminded his family that he’s had far more time than he expected.

In June 2013, after waiting several years on a kidney transplant list, Ken came to accept that he would probably not receive a donor kidney and he resolved himself to a graceful exit. It was minutes after he came to this realization that his phone rang and he was told that a potentially compatible kidney had been found. The donor kidney was indeed a match and it gave Ken several years of good health, freedom from dialysis treatments and mobility.  Because of the transplant he was able to travel extensively with Centella, and over several years they visited every major league baseball stadium in the United States. He was able to attend his eldest granddaughter’s wedding —something he never expected to be alive to see.

On Tuesday, March 10, 2020, Ken spent the day with his close family. He went to bed that night with sounds drifting in from the next room of his children and grandchildren sharing memories and telling stories. He fell into a sleep that would last the rest of his life, surrounded by his wife, his brother, his children and his grandchildren. The final end was shortly after noon on March 16, 2020.

If you call beautiful Indian Valley your home or if you are a visitor who has felt at home here, we hope you will remember Ken and his love for this place.

In lieu of flowers, Ken wished that donations be made to the Indian Valley Fire and Rescue Department. Due to current restrictions on public gatherings, a memorial service will be held at a later date. This obituary is, of course, an incomplete accounting of Ken’s life. If you would like to share your memories, the family has established an online memorial site at: https://everloved.com/life-of/kenneth-tucker/