Buryl Allan Branson, 85
Buryl Allan Branson, 85, passed away in Post Falls, Idaho, on Thursday, July 4, 2019.
Funeral services will be conducted at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, July 9, 2019, in the New Song Bible Church in Sagle, Idaho, with Pastor Greg Barnes officiating. Interment will take place in Gamlin Lake Cemetery, 9230 Sagle Road in Sagle.
Visitation will be in Coffelt’s Funeral Chapel, on Monday, June 8, from 3-5 p.m.
Buryl Allan (Al) Branson was born on September 10, 1933, in Wakefield, Massachusetts, first-born child to Buryl Armstrong and Hazel (Iram) Branson. In 1947 he moved with his family to Eastlake, Colorado. He attended Westminster High School before moving back to Massachusetts. He migrated to New York City where he worked as a ticket agent for Centennial Airlines. As part of his training he flew to Havana, Cuba.
He returned to Colorado in 1955 and married Barbara Anderson on July 27, 1956. He worked as inside sales for Elliott Schmidt Electrical for 13 years and received training as an electrical technician. In 1974, he moved to Mesa, Colorado, where he owned and operated the Toothpick Café with help from his family. He sold that business and purchased the Mountain Valley Janitor Service in Glenwood Springs, Colorado. He sold that business in 1981 and moved back to Westminster. He worked for Cashway Electrical Wholesale for 14 years until he retired in 1995.
In 2000 he moved to Sagle, where he continued his passion, building military models. There are trucks, tanks, ships, helicopters, airplanes and other equipment vital to the war efforts of World War I, World War II, the Korean War, Vietnam and Desert Storm. A great many of these are proudly displayed at the Bird Aviation Museum in Hayden, Idaho.
He was a board member at Church of the Wildwood and served as vice president on the Gamlin Lake Cemetery Board and a present member of New Song Bible Church. He was a volunteer at the Bird Aviation Museum, where he is known as “Mr. Al” and demonstrated the effect of smoking on lungs. He talked to children about their school and plans for their future.
He is survived by his wife of nearly 63 years, Barbara; sons and spouses, Brian A. (Susan) Branson of Denver, Colorado, and Daniel A. (Colleen) Branson of Mannford, Oklahoma; grandsons Benjamin A Branson and his mom Barbara of Rathdrum, Idaho, and Barret A. Branson of Denver; a brother, the Rev. Bruce A. (Janet) Branson of Hartley, Iowa; and a sister, Barbara A. Fisher of Castle Rock, Colorado; as well as seven nephews and their families and a niece.