Kevin T. Burroughs

Kevin Thomas Burroughs, 67, of Green Bay, WI, passed away peacefully at home, surrounded by family, on July 9, 2026, following a three-year battle with stroke complications.

Kevin was born at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, TX, on February 7, 1959, to parents Donald and Jacqueline (Ward) Burroughs. He grew up in Fond du Lac and Green Bay, WI, with his younger sister Carrie and was a member of Green Bay Southwest High School’s Class of 1977. During his college years, he was introduced to Lara Palzewic through their mutual friend group. They were married for 36 wonderful years.

Kevin loved music and enjoyed singing, playing his trumpet, and whistling, sometimes into the wee hours of the morning. He played the trumpet in the high school band and jazz band throughout college and later in the Eddie Larsen Orchestra, where he learned all the classic Polka songs he would later teach his children. He led worship music and sang in the choir at church, and was often called upon at family gatherings to sing “Hakuna Matata” in his tenor opera voice.

Kevin made use of his right brain as much as he did his left. He was ambidextrous; both an artist and a technician. A mechanical drafter by trade, he designed machines used in paper mills nationwide that pattern napkins and toilet paper (including McDonald’s napkins, legend has it). He loved to sketch, made his own fly fishing lures, kept beautiful aquariums in every room of the house (and when he ran out of rooms, the school science lab), and was an accomplished taxidermist.

Kevin was happiest outdoors enjoying God’s creation, and was an avid fisherman, hunter, disc golfer, trail biker, and mushroom forager. Many a Saturday was spent in the backwoods at his in-law’s property in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, where he took his children, nieces, and nephew on nature walks to teach them about all manner of flora and fauna. A firm believer in Bigfoot and the Loch Ness Monster, he would regale them with stories of his own potential sightings and close encounters.

Always a goofball, Kevin loved Kit Kats, Arby’s curly fries, taking selfies, late-night talk show comedians, Saturday morning cartoons, Steve Irwin, NCIS, and of course, anything that featured Chuck Norris.

Kevin was known to his friends and family as a doer, and wore many hats throughout his life: ready volunteer, encouraging coach, faithful deacon, fish tank doctor, dependable friend. But his favorite roles of all were devoted husband and world’s best dad.

He is survived by his wife, Lara (Palzewic) Burroughs; his children Maddy (Jack) Laufenberg, David (Rebekah) Burroughs, and Steven Burroughs; his father and stepmother, Don and Genny Burroughs; his sister Carrie (Mike) Ringel; many sisters- and brothers-in-law; nieces and nephews; and his two cats, Gibbs and Lucy.

He is preceded in death by his mother, Jackie.

His family is profoundly grateful to Unity Hospice - especially his care team Michelle, Sarah, and Molly - for making it possible to fulfill Kevin’s desire to remain at home until he passed.

“For the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed."

Kevin’s Celebration of Life service will be held at Bay City Baptist Church (1840 Bond St., Green Bay, WI) on Saturday, July 25, 2026, at 1:00 PM.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Bay City Baptist Church Deacons’ Fund or the Hope Memorial Relay.