BOMBER MEMORIAL

JAMES EDINGTON "JIM"/"JIMI" BURGER ~ Class of 1972
November 17, 1953 - August 31, 2014



James E. "Jim"/"Jimi" Burger passed away unexpectedly at his home in Riga, Latvia on August 31, 2014. Born in Richland on November 17, 1953, he graduated from Richland's Columbia High School in 1972, and earned Bachelor's degrees in Mathematics and Chemistry, and a Master of Science in Analytical Chemistry from the University of Washington.

He worked for several years in research and development at Battelle NW Labs, Microsoft and Fred Hutchinson, before moving to Umea, Sweden to earn his PhD in Analytical Chemistry from Umea University.

Dr. Burger became internationally respected as a pioneer in Chemometrics, a new field combining analytical chemistry with computer science. He was owner of Burger Metrics, SIA and had developed one of the first mass spectrometer and computer software systems for collecting and analyzing hyper-spectral images. He marketed, built and maintained the system at various labs throughout Europe.

Jim loved animals, gardening and nature, especially the mountains and oceans. His beloved dogs were his constant companions. He was a great hiker and fisherman. He also loved art, and was an excellent potter, photographer and woodworker. His love for music ranged from classical to The Who, with a little jazz blues, Jimi Hendrix and Beatles thrown in.

Jim is survived by his son, Jeffrey K.S. Burger; father, Leland L. Burger; brother, Harold L. "Hal" Burger ('62) (Dona); sister, Virginia L. "Ginny" Burger Tracy ('68) (Robert); and numerous cousins, nephews and nieces. He is preceded in death by his mother, D. Eleanor Burger, who passed away at the age of 74 in Richland on December 2, 1994; and by his wife, Linda, who passed away at the age of 44 on July 17, 1998.

He will be truly missed.

Please sign the Seattle Times online guest book. Any stories and pictures will be enjoyed and appreciated.

A memorial was held at 5:00 pm on Saturday, May 30, 2015, in Bellevue.

Donations can be made to the Seattle Mountaineers Club, PAWS, or the Humane Society.

Published in the Seattle Times on May 24, 2015.

NOTE:

His father, Leland Leonard Burger, passed away at the age of 98 on October 7, 2016.

His brother, Hal Burger ('62), passed away on June 6, 2023.

Bomber Memorial put together by Shirley COLLINGS Haskins ('66).