James Michael Burridge

James Michael Burridge “Jim” (Age 76) Of Arlington, VA, died on May 22, 2021, from injuries suffered in a fall. His loving family was by his side. Jim was born on November 18, 1944, in Exeter, N.H., to John A. and Vera Bradbury Burridge. He is survived by his wife of 37 years, Teresa Hughes Burridge, their son, Hughes, and daughter, Claire. He is also survived by his brother, Jack (Laverne), sister-in-law Melissa Hughes (Douglas Cullen), two nieces, two nephews, two grand-nieces, and a grand-nephew. Jim grew up in Eliot, ME, where he graduated from Eliot High School in 1962. He earned a B.S. in 1966 from Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service and in 1968 received an M.S. in Asian Studies from the University of Minnesota. He was drafted into the Army in 1970 and honorably discharged in 1972. He was awarded a Ph.D. in International Relations from George Washington University in 1988. Jim’s most important passion was his family, whom he adored and for whom he would move mountains. He had many friends and constantly sought out new ones, because, “There are so many great stories.” His interests included aviation, softball, baseball, and community service. Jim’s fascination with airplanes began in childhood. He was a civil air cadet in high school. Throughout his life, he photographed planes at air shows and built scale models with historically correct markings. Jim authored several articles for modeling magazines and contributed numerous photos to books and articles. He founded a softball team, Smiley’s People, which he coached for 31 years, and cheered on the Washington Nationals, reveling in their 2019 World Series championship. For 10 years, he was a tutor and college mentor for AHC Inc., which Jim believed makes a difference in young people’s lives. As his final act, Jim was an organ donor. Jim was proud to have worked for over 50 years in the U.S. intelligence community. The majority of his time was spent at the National Security Agency, where he was a Japanese linguist, and from which he retired in 2007. He had a two-year assignment at the U.S. Department of State, where he met his wife, Terry. He spent a year as a Congressional Fellow in the office of Rep. Morris Udall. He worked for two years at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence. As a contractor with the Central Intelligence Agency, he worked on intelligence support for NGOs. Jim was particularly proud of his assistance to the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia and the Tribunal for Rwanda. His final position was as an historian with the CIA’s Center for the Study of Intelligence, for which he wrote nine studies on the intelligence relationships between the United States and foreign countries. Should you wish to make a donation in Jim’s memory, the family requests it be made either to the Michael J. Fox Foundation (https://www.michaeljfox.org/donate), or to AHC Inc. https://www.ahcinc.org/donate/. For information and to attend Private Celebration of Life in July, please e-mail the family at : [email protected] Oh! I have slipped the surly bonds of Earth And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings...