Ernest Floyd Burgess (Ernie) III
March 24, 1967 - August 18, 2025
Ernest "Ernie" Floyd Burgess III, 58, died August 18, 2025 at home with his wife by his side.
Ernie was born on March 24, 1967, in Midland, Michigan, to Ernest and Kerry Burgess (Hager).
Ernie died one day after his clean date, having achieved 19 years free from drugs and alcohol. He worked for several years in substance abuse treatment in Traverse City and Midland, where he was an inspiration and guiding light for many who were taking their first steps on the road to recovery.
Ernie loved hiking, collecting rocks and most recently gardening. He was a supervisor in the gardening center at Lowes and would often bring home plants and flowers for our own garden. He especially liked the ones that were nearly dead and needed a lot of TLC.
He was also a handyman and could fix anything, but really liked an automotive challenge. His motto was "Why pay a mechanic when you can do it yourself?"
He was well-loved and when he got sick friends, coworkers and neighbors took care of the fall leaves and winter snow, as well as giving him the occasional haircut.
Ernie is survived by his wife, Patti Burgess (Mann); daughter, Kaity Park (Burgess); step-sons, James (Amy) Mann, Nicholas Brandt, and Joseph Brandt; sister, Kimberly "Kym" Burgess; brother, Brian Burgess; parents, Ernest Burgess, Jr. and Kerry Burgess (Hager); grandkids, Avalon, Sebastian, Amelia, Audrey, Zackory, Abigail, Anastasia, Lucy, Elliott, Derrick, and Hunter; several other family members.
He was preceded in death by his son, Taylor Burgess.
Memorial contributions may be made to Cherryland Humane Society or Addiction Treatment Services (ATS). An informal visitation will be held from 4 pm to 7 pm, Friday, September 12, 2025, at Life Story Funeral Home.
Sharing of memories will start at 6 pm.
Please visit www.lifestorytc.com to share your thoughts and more.
Send Flowers: When Is the Ordering Deadline?
ANY DAY OF THE WEEK
Order any time up till the day before
MON-FRI Order by 2:00PM
SAT & SUN Order by noon
TUES-SAT
Order by 3:00PM
The day before
SAT & SUN Order by Saturday
Note: These are general guidelines; some florists may not be able to operate within these timelines. During peak periods such as Valentine’s Day, Memorial Day and most holidays, florists are not always able to keep up to demand. Tribute will contact you if there are any issues.
No Events Scheduled At This Time
Send Flowers: When Is the Ordering Deadline?
ANY DAY OF THE WEEK
Order any time up till the day before
MON-FRI Order by 2:00PM
SAT & SUN Order by noon
TUES-SAT
Order by 3:00PM
The day before
SAT & SUN Order by Saturday
Note: These are general guidelines; some florists may not be able to operate within these timelines. During peak periods such as Valentine’s Day, Memorial Day and most holidays, florists are not always able to keep up to demand. Tribute will contact you if there are any issues.
Plant a tree: How does it work
When your purchase is complete, a post will be made on the tribute wall of the deceased signifying the planting of a memorial tree.
An official certificate recognizing your purchase will be included with your email receipt. You can then forward the email to the family or print it and give it to them personally.
After an order is placed, our forestry partners will plant the tree in the area of greatest need (nearest the funeral home), according to the planting schedule for the year.
Due to seasonal conditions, the tree planting takes place during the spring and summer.
Tree Planting Timeline
Orders placed in:
January - May
Planting will take place in Spring or Summer of the same year.
June - December
Planting will take place in Spring of the following year.
Hide Detail
To download this photo, the file name must have less than 255 characters. If you are having trouble, click Save Image As and rename the file to meet the character requirement and try again.