BRATTLEBORO, Vt. (AP) _ John “Jack” Burgess, a former Vermont prosecutor, lawmaker and lieutenant governor has died. He was 87.
Burgess died of heart failure Thursday, in Keene, N.H.
A native of New York City, Burgess moved to Vermont at 13, served in the U.S. Air Force during the Korean War and went on to become a town attorney and prosecutor before beginning his statewide political career.
In 1966, he became a state representative, eventually rising to become House speaker in 1969.
Burgess was a Republican. He was elected lieutenant governor in 1970, serving from 1971 to 1975 under then-Gov. Tom Salmon.
In 1974, Burgess challenged Jim Jeffords for the GOP nomination for Vermont’s lone seat in the U.S. House.