Benjamin F. Burgess Jr., of Pensacola, FL was born December 9, 1921 in Duluth, GA to Benjamin F. and Flora Burgess and passed away on May 25, 2013. He graduated with Honors from Milton High School in Alpharetta, GA where he received an academic scholarship to Mercer University in 1938. Much to his Parent's surprise he joined the U. S. Navy as an Aviation Cadet on December 13, 1941, one week after the attack on Pearl Harbor and six months prior to his scheduled graduation from Mercer University. He received his wings in October 1942 at Lakehurst, New Jersey. In January 1943 Ensign Burgess was the third pilot on the first blimp to fly from Lakehurst, N.J. to Port of Spain, Trinidad where a squadron was established to perform anti-submarine duty covering shipping lanes from Brazil to Florida. LT Burgess was released from active duty in December 1945 and returned to Mercer University where he received his Bachelors Degree in chemistry. To complete his academic schooling, he spent one year in postgraduate school at the University of North Carolina in the Department of Biochemistry. From there he completed his schooling at the University of Pennsylvania where he obtained a Masters Degree in Physiology. After a short tour of duty with the U.S. Public Health Service, conducting research relating to the use of DDT and its effect in preventing Typhus primarily in the southern United States, Mr. Burgess was recalled to active duty in the U.S. Navy, but this time as a Research Scientist in the Navy's Bureau of Medicine and Surgery. He spent three years at the Navy's Medical Field Research Laboratory at Camp Lejeune, NC. Here he continued his research relating to DDT. From there he was transferred to the Navy's Aviation Medical Acceleration Laboratory (AMAL) at Johnsville, PA. Here he conducted research relating to Stress Physiology during space travel. It was at AMAL that he worked with the original seven astronauts who obtained their basic training for Project Mercury. In 1958, Mr. Burgess was assigned to the American Embassy in London, England as Liaison Officer in Aerospace Medicine in Western Europe. He also had an additional assignment as an Exchange Officer to the Royal Air Force Institute of Aviation Medicine in Farnborough, England. Finally his last tour of duty returned him to Johnsville, PA as Director of the Aviation Medical Acceleration Laboratory where he retired as Commander after twenty years of active duty in the U.S. Navy. Receiving an offer he couldn't refuse, Mr. Burgess became a civilian again as Director of Research at the 1300-bed Philadelphia General Hospital (PGH), which had a large research component and was staffed by the five medical schools in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Mr. Burgess didn't have far to go when he accepted the position of Director of Research of Presbyterian-University of Pennsylvania Medical Center where he remained for 23 years until he retired for the second time in 1988. Mr. Burgess is the author of numerous scientific papers published in the Journal of Physiology, Aero Space Medicine Flying Personnel Research Committee of Great Britain and Journal of Aviation Medicine as well as many reports published by the Office of Naval Research. He was a member of many scientific organizations such as: American Men of Science, New York Academy of Sciences, Aerospace Medical Association and Who's Who in the East. He was also a member of the Aerospace Medical Personnel of NATO and a member of the Committee on Hearing, Bioacoustics and Biomechanics of the National Research Council. Frank, as known by his friends, is survived by Martha, his wife of 68 years (known by him as Sug' and by the rest of the family as Nan Nan') and he was extremely proud of the accomplishments of their three children; Benjamin F. III, a retired U.S. Navy Captain and graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy and now retired as Director, American President Lines, Oakland, CA, William J. who is Publisher and President of three newspapers in Lancaster County, PA and Martha E. Golden an Anthropologist who is Director of the Matagorda Nature Center-a unit of the Lower Colorado River Authority located on the Texas Gulf Coast. His brother, C.J. Burgess resides in Annandale, VA. Funeral services will be held at Barrancas National Cemetery, Pensacola Florida.