Gary Leon Burrell (August 24, 1937 – June 12, 2019) was an American electrical engineer, businessman, and philanthropist. He was the co-founder, with Min Kao, 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. |
| Died | June 12, 2019 (aged 81) Spring Hill, Kansas, U.S. |
| Alma mater | Wichita State University (B.S., Electrical Engineering) Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (M.S.) |
| Occupation(s) | electrical engineer and entrepreneur |
| Known for | co-founder of the Garmin GPS company |
Early life
editGary 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
editBurrell 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
editBurrell was a significant donor to the Indian Creek Community Church in Olathe, Kansas.[3]
Awards
editIn September 2024, Burrell was inducted into the National Aviation Hall of Fame in Dayton, Ohio.[4]
Personal life
editBurrell 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.[5][6][7]
References
edit- ^ a b c d e f "The World's Billionaires: Gary Burrell". Forbes. Retrieved March 10, 2017.
- ^ a b "Leadership: Gary Burrell". Garmin. Retrieved March 10, 2017.
- ^ "Olathe church looks like locus of Burrell gifts". Kansas City Business Journal. April 4, 2004. Retrieved March 10, 2017.
- ^ "The National Aviation Hall of Fame Announces the "Class of 2024"". National Aviation Hall of Fame.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "Gary Burrell Obituary - Olathe, Kansas | Legacy.com". Legacy.com. 14 June 2019.
- ^ "Garmin® announces passing of Co-founder and Chairman Emeritus Gary Burrell". BusinessWire. June 13, 2019. Retrieved June 14, 2019.