Laurence M

Burrows, Jr.

Laurence McCallum Burrows, Jr., affectionately known to his family and his many friends as "Cal," was born on February 9, 1947, and grew up in Cliffside Park, New Jersey. He was the son of the late Laurence McCallum Burrows, Sr. and Pauline Hannah McClave.

Except for a few short years following his marriage in 1969, Cal has resided in Cliffside his entire life. He was a respected athlete at Cliffside High, especially as a member of the school's football team. Following his graduation from Eastern Kentucky University in 1969, Cal spent his entire professional life in the construction business. He was a founding partner of Elsa Construction in New Jersey, and later worked for several larger firms domiciled in Jersey. He was a supervisor on a number of major government-sponsored projects, including dam building in Montana, and infrastructure improvements at the Capitol Building in Washington, D.C. Cal loved his work, and only retired a few years ago.

A descendant of Mayflower passengers Stephen and Giles Hopkins, Cal was also a member of one of Cliffside Park's oldest families. His great grandparents, Major and Mrs. Stephen Wood McClave, were pioneer residents, moving from New York City to Cliffside in 1884. Major McClave, a prominent lumber merchant and public-spirited citizen, played a significant role in the official founding and naming of the town, and served as one of its very early mayors. He was also widely known in New York and New Jersey as the "Father of the Hudson River Bridge," having launched the movement in 1899 that culminated in the construction of the George Washington Bridge and the creation of the Palisades Interstate Park System. Founders of Trinity Episcopal Church in Cliffside, Cal's great grandparents donated the land and all materials used in the church's construction. Cal served as an acolyte at Trinity throughout his early years, and was married at the church.

Cal's sudden and unexpected passing on November 25, three days after Thanksgiving 2018, has left a void in many people's lives. In a short 71 years, Cal lived life to the fullest, and his affable, gentle manner brought him a wide circle of friends who now mourn his loss. A devoted husband, father, grandfather, and brother, Cal is survived by his wife of 49 years, Laura Ann (Bartolucci) Burrows; two sons, Christopher McCallum Burrows of Cliffside Park and Scott Edward Burrows of Fairfield, New Jersey; four grandchildren, Kyle, Katie, Blake, and Kensi; and his brother, John Edward Burrows of Colebrook, Connecticut.