Burnett H. Radosh, husband, father, and army officer, passed away peacefully on March
26th, 2024, at his son’s home in Arlington, Virginia.
Burnett was born on March 29th, 1935, in New York City to Louis and Esther Radosh,
Jewish immigrants from Poland and New York City school teachers. He grew up in
Brooklyn and Neponsit, Queens. After an early admission to the University of Chicago,
Burnett graduated in 1953 and then graduated from the NYU School of Law.
After graduating from law school, Burnett Radosh joined the US Army. He started his
army career enlisted and had infantry training at Fort Benning. He then became a law
clerk in the JAG office at Fort Benning. Within six months of enlistment, he became a
JAG 1st Lieutenant and underwent JAG officer training at Fort Benning.
During the Thanksgiving holiday of 1959, 1st Lt. Burnett Radosh met Katherine Radosh
on a train returning to DC from NYC. By January, they were engaged, and the happy
couple married on March 26, 1960. Six months after the birth of their first child, Alaric, in
1961, the Radoshs moved to France on the USNS Patch, a troop ship. In France, Burnett
pursued his military career while Katherine took care of Alaric and gave birth to a
second son, Jeremy, in 1962. The family lived in Bussac, Poitiers, and Orleans during
their time in France.
After two years in France, the family returned to the states, spending time in
Charlottesville, VA, and Fort Bragg, North Carolina.
Burnett spent one year with the 82nd Airborne Division before being curtailed to go to
Vietnam. His second tour in Vietnam was with the 25th Infantry Division at ChuChi.
Following the second tour in Vietnam, Burnett was stationed in Northern Virginia, where
he held various assignments, including work in the Pentagon building. Burnett’s sons
fondly remember their time in Northern Virginia as filled with father-son quality time,
including building an excellent treehouse in their backyard, Taekwondo lessons, and
outings to the Pentagon Officers Athletic Club.
In 1976, Burnett and Katherine sponsored an extended family of Lao and Vietnamese
refugees who lived with the Radosh family for half a year. Burnett and Katherine took up
sailing, starting their education with the Navy Sailing Association Annapolis Chapter.
After retiring from the military in 1979, Burnett accompanied Katherine on her foreign
service assignments to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia; Bangkok, Thailand; Port au Prince, Haiti;
and Tokyo, Japan.
Following their return to the United States, Burnett and Katherine moved to Florida to
care for their ailing parents. Together with Katherine, Burnett joined the Coast Guard
Auxiliary and led patrols on sailboats and powerboats, retiring after 15 years of service.
They enjoyed sailing their catamaran, Nerissa, from South Florida to Maine several
times, once entering Canada and experiencing the notorious Bay of Fundy with a tidal
range of over 20’.
In recent years, Burnett was the primary caregiver to Katherine as she fought MDS,
passing away in 2022.
Burnett is survived by his two sons, Alaric and Jeremy, and their families. He is also
survived by his brother, Edward, and his family, including nephew Lee and niece Laura,
along with their families.
A graveside service will take place at Arlington National Cemetery.
