Feb. 5, 1946 – March 2, 2026

Jeremy (“Jerry”) Rockwell Burnham passed away peacefully at his home on March 2 at the age of 80, surrounded by his loving family.

Born Feb. 5, 1946 in Glendale, Jerry grew up in the Crescenta Valley and developed an early passion for radio and electronics that would shape the course of his life. A lifelong supporter of his local community, he was also honored to be the very first subscriber to the Crescenta Valley Weekly.

Jerry proudly served his country as a lieutenant junior grade in the United States Navy Reserve during the Vietnam era aboard the USS Truxtun. His military honors included the National Defense Service Medal, Vietnam Service Medal, Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (Korea) and the Meritorious Unit Commendation.

Following his military service, Jerry built a distinguished 40-year career with Clear Channel Radio in Los Angeles, helping build and maintain the technical backbone of many Southern California radio stations including KIIS-FM, KFI, KOST, KBIG-FM and KROQ. Behind the scenes, he supported legendary broadcasts, including the morning shows of Rick Dees and Ryan Seacrest. Colleagues remember him as a pioneer in broadcast engineering, a steady problem solver and a mentor who generously shared his knowledge with younger engineers.

Beyond his professional accomplishments, Jerry was deeply devoted to conservation, veterans organizations and his community. He volunteered for decades with the Sierra Club and dedicated countless hours to reforestation, trail maintenance, and caring for open spaces at Deukmejian Wilderness Park & the Verdugo Mountains. He was recently honored with the Sustainability Stewardship Award by the City of Glendale.

Above all, Jerry was a devoted husband, father and friend whose kindness, intelligence, humility and steady presence touched countless lives.

A celebration of life honoring Jerry Burnham will be held on Friday, June 19 at 5:30 p.m. at Deukmejian Wilderness Park. Family and friends are invited to gather, share stories and celebrate his life.

For more information regarding Jerry’s service, visit https://jeremyburnham.wixsite.com/jerry/celebration-of-life.