Dan Burden

David Daniel (Dan) Burden passed away unexpectedly on Tuesday, October 7, 2025 at the age of 89.

Dan, also known as “Coach” and “Cotton”, was born on April 24,1936 in Leighton, Alabama to Benjamin and Lillian. He spent his younger years picking cotton with his family and exploring the fields, creeks, and woods with his siblings, cousins, and beloved dog, Rusty.

With an inquisitive mind, always eager to learn, Dan headed off to college, first to Northeast Mississippi Junior College then Austin Peay State University in Clarksville, where he graduated with a Math degree. He played football throughout his undergraduate college career; some may even remember him mysteriously playing under the name “Joe Dillard” for a time.

After getting a master’s degree in mathematics at LSU, he began his 57-year teaching career at Clarksville High School where he met his wife of 55 years, Mary Kay (Lander). He spent the following years teaching, winning math competitions, and coaching football, basketball, and tennis at Clarksville Academy before retiring in 2018. He was ranked number one by the Tennessee Mathematics Teachers Association and proudly taught over 36 state math competition winners.

Dan is widely known for his brilliance, kindness, coaching approach, unique teaching style, and his “Burdenisms”. He is cherished as an educator, coach, mentor, and friend to his former players and students alike, who all meant so much to him and, by his own account, taught him just as much as he taught them.

Although we lost Mary Kay in March of this year, Dan was very fortunate to spend the last few years living with her in Centre, Alabama on peaceful Weiss Lake with their daughter, Amanda, and son-in-law Blake, watching Alabama football, fishing, and spending time with family and neighbors. He also enjoyed the company of caregivers Johnnie, Tameka, and his special fishing buddy, Charity. Dan’s daughter, Ginger, and her husband, Lindsey, visited often from Nashville and always looked forward to stories about cotton, slingshots, arrowheads, and front porch pickin’ with his family and neighbors as a kid.

Dan is preceded in death by his wife, Mary Kay, his parents, Lillian and Benjamin, sister Christine Osborn, and brother Robert. He is survived by daughters Ginger Burden (Lindsey Boise) and Amanda Boozer (Blake Boozer) and son Tim Burden (Tracey Burden). He is also survived by siblings Bobby Burden, Dorothy Faye Burden, Doris Johnson, and Carol Finch.

Visitation and Celebration of Life will be held in Clarksville, Tennessee. Visitation on October 29th, 4-6pm at McReynolds-Nave & Larson Funeral Home. Celebration of Life on October 30th at Madison Street United Methodist Church. Service will begin at 2 PM with a visitation beforehand at 1 PM. The family will have a private burial afterwards.

Pallbearers will be Blake Boozer, Lindsey Boise, Kurt Kujawa, Deno Devers, Wesley Burden, and Ben Finch. Leeon “Bull” Smith, Blakey Bradley, and Giorgio Guzzetta will be honorary pallbearers.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that you consider making a donation to the Clarksville Academy “Dan Burden Mathematics Scholarship”, to be awarded yearly to a graduating senior who is an exceptional math student. You may send your donation to Clarksville Academy at 710 N. 2nd St., Clarksville, TN 37040 or donate online using this link.https://clarksvilleacademy.com/dan-burden-mathematic-scholarship/