George Henry Burgess, who led Malden’s Boy Scout Troop 603 as scoutmaster for 43 years, died on October 13, 2026 after a brief illness, with his family at his side. He was 73 and had lived in Malden all his life.
He was born at Whidden Memorial Hospital in Everett on June 17, 1953, the second of eight children of Henry “Chet” and Shirley (Johnson) Burgess. He graduated from Malden High School in 1971 and later from Salem State. He worked for years at Heartland and Purity Supreme and then Stop and Shop before joining the Transportation Security Administration at Logan Airport in 2002, where he worked until he retired in 2018.
He camped every summer at Papoose Pond in Maine, climbed Mount Katahdin, and went on decades of monthly scout trips. He and his wife Carol, with their friends Mary and Jack Ryan, the “Fab Four,” traveled to New Hampshire wineries, the Finger Lakes and Bermuda, where George and Carol honeymooned in 1976 and returned this June for their 50th anniversary.
He leaves his wife of 50 years, Carol (Hurley) Burgess; three children, Erin Devinney (Kevin) in Haverhill, Christopher Burgess (Sarah) in Saugus and Kerri Moran (Mark) in Methuen; four grandchildren, Allison, Ryan, Ethan and Wesley; six siblings, Janie Fowler in Chandler, Ariz., Michael (Patty) in Lynn, Nancy Weymouth (Glenn) and Tim (Chrissy), both in Wilmington, Judi in Gardner, and Kristine (Jim Comolli) in Boxborough; a sister-in-law, Maureen Vona, a brother-in-law, Joseph Hurley (Doreen), and many nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his sister Doris Weymouth, his wife’s parents Joseph and Helen Hurley, a brother-in-law, Howie Fowler, a sister-in-law, Kathy Hurley, and a niece, Stephanie Weymouth.
Visiting hours are Monday, October 19 from 4 to 8 p.m. at the Weir-MacCuish Funeral Home, 144 Salem Street, Malden, with the funeral there Tuesday, October 20 at 10 a.m. The family suggests donations to the Stephanie Marie Weymouth Charitable Foundation.
Compiled from information published by Weir-MacCuish Golden Rule Funeral Home, 144 Salem Street, Malden. Photograph courtesy of the family via Weir-MacCuish. This is our own summary, not the family’s obituary; read the full obituary and leave a condolence at the funeral home’s page on Legacy.com. Corrections: we will fix any error promptly.
