MANDEVILLE, La. -- Robert Burgess Ferguson of Clearwater, Fla., died Saturday, Oct. 25, 2003. He was the husband of Jeanne (Kelsall) Ferguson.
Born in New Bedford, Mass., the son of the late Jessie and Robert Ferguson, he graduated from Fairhaven High School, Fairhaven, Mass., in 1933.
Mr. Ferguson was a very successful businessman and from 1933 until 1942 he owned and operated Ferguson Taxi and three gas stations in Fairhaven and a parcel delivery franchise from Cape Cod to Boston.
He entered the Army Air Corps on April 9, 1942, and during World War II he served in the Air Sea Rescue units in New Orleans, where he also helped test Higgins boats, and in Goose Bay, Labrador and Hawaii.
In 1949, as communist Chinese encroached on Shanghai, he assisted in the emergency extraction of U.S. citizens. He served in Korea from July 1950 until August 1951, during the bitter, early months of the war. Subsequently he was assigned to Tampa, Fla., Mattagorda Island, Texas, Savannah, Ga., the Panama Canal Zone and Fort Walton Beach, Fla.
Mr. Ferguson retired from the Air Force as a chief warrant officer in 1965. From 1965 until his retirement in 1984, he captained several research vessels engaged in a variety of projects and operations. In 1984, he and his wife moved to their Clearwater, Fla., home.
Survivors include his widow; a son, Philip Ferguson of Springfield, Va.; two daughters, Leslye Federline of Mandeville and Beth Safilian of Niwot, Colo.; and seven grandchildren.
His funeral service will be at 1 p.m. Oct. 31, 2003 at the Wilson Chapel, 479 County St., New Bedford. Relatives and friend will be recieved within the hour prior to his service. Interment will be in Oak Grove Cemetery, New Bedford, Ma.