Gary Burrell

Gary Leon Burrell (August 24, 1937 – June 12, 2019) was an American businessman and philanthropist. He was the co-founder and chairman emeritus of Garmin, makers of popular Global Positioning System devices.

Gary Burrell
Born
Gary Leon Burrell

August 24, 1937
Stilwell, Kansas, U.S.
DiedJune 12, 2019(2019-06-12) (aged 81)
Spring Hill, Kansas, U.S.
NationalityAmerican
Alma materWichita State University (B.S., Electrical Engineering)
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (M.S.)
Occupationelectrical engineer and entrepreneur
Known forco-founder of the Garmin GPS company

Early life

Gary Burrell was born in 1937. He earned his undergraduate degree in electrical engineering from Wichita State University and a master's degree from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.[1][2]

Career

Burrell worked for Lowrance Electronics and King Radio Corporation.[2] In the early 1980s, he worked for Allied Signal.[1]

Along with partner Min Kao, Burrell founded Garmin in 1989 to make navigation devices for aviation and boating using the Global Positioning System.[1] Their original office was two folding chairs and a card table. Some U.S. servicemen used Garmin GPS during the first Gulf War, even though Garmin never had a military contract. Later on, the technology was expanded for the U.S. market, providing directions across all United States roads and highways.

Philanthropy

Burrell was a significant donor to the Indian Creek Community Church in Olathe, Kansas.[3]

Personal life

Burrell was married, and had three children.[1] He resided in Spring Hill, Kansas.[1] As of 2016, Burrell was a billionaire.[1] He died on June 12, 2019, at the age of 81 from complications of Parkinson's disease.[4][5][6][7]

References
  1. "The World's Billionaires: Gary Burrell". Forbes. Retrieved March 10, 2017.
  2. "Leadership: Gary Burrell". Garmin. Retrieved March 10, 2017.
  3. "Olathe church looks like locus of Burrell gifts". Kansas City Business Journal. April 4, 2004. Retrieved March 10, 2017.
  4. Roberts, Sam (2019-06-20). "Gary Burrell, Who Helped People Find Their Way (With GPS), Dies at 81". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2019-08-03.
  5. "Gary Burrell Obituary - Olathe, Kansas | Legacy.com".
  6. "Garmin® announces passing of Co-founder and Chairman Emeritus Gary Burrell". BusinessWire. June 13, 2019. Retrieved June 14, 2019.
  7. "Gary Burrell, Who Helped People Find Their Way (With GPS), Dies at 81". The New York Times. 2019-06-20. Retrieved 2019-06-24.
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