Services for Terry Lyn Leines-Burris of Lawrence, KS will be held at 1 p.m. on Wednesday, January 8, 2025, at Immanuel Lutheran Church, 2104 Bob Billings Parkway, Lawrence, KS 66049. Reception will follow. Burial at Rosendale Church cemetery in Madelia, MN at a later date.
Terry died Saturday, December 28, 2024, at Bridge Haven Memory Care in Lawrence, KS, surrounded by family, including her four-legged babies.
Born in Trimont, MN, on January 17, 1961, Terry was the first child of Dick and Jan Leines. Terry’s early childhood was spent in Minnesota, where she was immersed in her Norwegian heritage. In 1963, her family relocated to Kansas, where they welcomed her first brother, Rick, born in Winfield that same year. Three years later, in 1966, her second brother, Jon, was born in Leavenworth, Kansas. There, Terry began kindergarten at St. Paul Lutheran School, later started grade school, became a Brownie, took piano lessons, and attended Trinity Lutheran Church with her family. The Leines’ settled in Lawrence, KS in 1971, and it became her home.
Academic pursuits led her from Lawrence High School, where she graduated in 1979, to the University of Kansas. She graduated with a double major in Spanish and French in 1983. Continuing her education with a focus on global business, Terry received a Master of International Management from the Thunderbird School of Global Management in Glendale, AZ, in 1984. Terry’s time at Thunderbird set the stage for her future work endeavors and helped nurture her multicultural worldview. Terry possessed an exceptional talent for languages. She travelled to Guadalajara multiple times for study trips during high school and undergrad years at KU. Her senior year at University, her proficiency in Spanish was so advanced that she taught beginning-level Spanish class.
She learned to play guitar with tips from a Spanish pen pal, Leonor. Her KU-era repertoire included classics like Janis Joplin’s “Me and Bobby McGee,” The Mamas and the Papas’ “California Dreamin’”, Joan Baez’s “Diamonds and Rust,” the Allman Brothers’ “Ramblin’ Man,” “Mr. Bojangles,” and Kansas’ “Dust in the Wind,” and others, that she harmonized alongside her best friend Karen. Terry would later learn the 5-finger picking style characteristic of flamenco. She played beautifully and the guitar brought her tranquility, reflecting her free spirit, warmth and kindness that she displayed throughout her life. She also had a knack for Ancestral research and helped fill in the blanks on her maternal and paternal family trees, as well as helping others with their families’ trees, a part of her giving nature. After graduating from KU, Terry and Karen shared multiple adventures in Mexico; the first was to the pyramids of Teotihuacan. Later in life, she frequently vacationed in Mexico and Central America with friends and family, following the path of La Ruta Maya and scuba diving. Terry utilized her linguistic skills and her kindness to make friends wherever she went.
After Terry’s graduation from Thunderbird, she moved to the Dallas-Ft. Worth area in 1987 to begin a successful career in telecommunications. While working at International Telecharge in 1989, she befriended Debbi and Ted Oliger. Terry and Debbi worked hard, laughed a whole lot, and had so much fun they were known as Lucy and Ethel, in reference to “I Love Lucy.” She moved to St. Petersburg, FL in 1992, working for a Security company. She became scuba certified in 1993 and was an avid scuba diver. She moved back to Dallas in 1994. In 1995, she went to work for Excel Telecommunications in the Marketing department. She met future husband Greg at Excel in 1995, and they married in 1999.
Her pride and joy, Zane Elijah Burris, was born in May 2002. Terry spent three years raising him before she went to work for Zion Lutheran School in Dallas, working as a Marketing Director where she helped grow the school and solidified the foundation for future growth. When Zane entered first grade, she met Freda Vaughn and her son Avery, and a friendship quickly formed. Debbi, Freda, and Terry spent many hours together over the years, remaining best friends and forging loving relationships.
Terry is survived by her husband, Greg, son Zane, Mom Jan, brother Rick and spouse Shirl, and brother Jon and spouse Elyce; in-laws Judy and Luis Rey and Gary Burris, and numerous nieces and nephews and her beloved four-legged babies, Obi and Trixie. Preceding Terry are her father Dick and brother in-law David Burris.
Throughout her life, Terry demonstrated a curious spirit and embraced new adventures with a natural ability to forge friendships, wherever she went. She consistently maintained a positive outlook, even during challenging times.
Terry’s favorite saying was “Carpe Diem,” meaning “Seize the Day.” She embodied idealistic values in our world, while remaining grounded. She loved humanity and this was reflected in her treatment of others, no matter their status or beliefs. Her unwavering kindness and devotion to family and friends, along with a love for music, highlighted a happiness until the end. While our hearts ache, we are comforted in knowing that Terry is no longer struggling, and we are inspired by her kindness and loving nature. She fought an uphill battle against Alzheimer’s and never quit trying. Carpe Diem.
We were blessed to have Terry in our lives as wife, Mom, daughter, sister, cousin, niece, aunt, and friend. Our love will live for eternity.
The family extends its appreciation to Bridge Haven Memory Care staff for their loving care of Terry for the past 14 months. Please consider donating to the Alzheimer’s Organization of America at https://www.alz.org/ instead of flowers.
A Memorial Service will be held on Wednesday, January 8, 2025, at 1:00 pm, with a reception to follow, all at Immanuel Lutheran Church, 2104 Bob Billings Pkwy, Lawrence.
