Gary Burgess, the Channel Islands journalist and broadcaster has sadly passed away at the age of 46.
Gary passed away at Jersey Hospice Care on new year’s day, having been diagnosed with terminal cancer two years ago.
Gary enjoyed a successful career in broadcasting, starting on Blackpool’s Radio Wave in 1982, before the first of his Channel Island roles with Guernsey’s Island FM in 2003. He returned to Guernsey in 2008 to join the local BBC radio.
In 2011 Gary moved to Jersey and joined Channel Television, also presenting on Channel 103 since 2018.
In Gary’s typical open style, he maintained a diary of his chemo experience, allowing people to understand the often unknown effects of chemotherapy treatment.
Gary’s final message, written for release after his death, says:
“I’ve had the best life. I’ve had the luckiest life. I met my soul mate and the love of my life who went on to become my husband. I got to work with some of the most amazing people in newsrooms and studios doing the job I absolutely adore. And I’ve been able to share my own relatively short time on this planet surrounded by friends and loved ones who have enriched my life in ways they may never truly understand.
“My greatest sadness is the prospect of leaving all of that and all of them behind. The thought of doing that to Alan is unfathomable to process, but I also know the very people who’ve shown me love and support will now wrap up those feelings around him in the coming days. It’s time for me to hand over my microphone and keyboard for others to do the talking about me, so let my final words simply be ‘thank you’. Every person in my life has, in their own way, helped me live my best life. That’ll do.”
Gary’s husband, Alan Burgess has made the following statement:
It is with great sadness that I need to announce the death of my wonderful husband Gary on Saturday 1 January. After many years of fighting cancer, Gary died peacefully in his sleep in Jersey Hospice.
I would like to publicly thank all of the many people and services within Jersey, and also at Southampton General Hospital, who have cared for Gary so well over the last seven years through all of the different stages of this disease. Gary was always grateful for the many kindnesses he was shown, whether it was from the nurses in the oncology ward, the porters wheeling him down corridors when he was too weak to walk by himself or the cups of coffee made by volunteers in the MacMillan Oasis Suite.
I have to say a special thank you to Jersey Hospice and the Clinical Investigations team from Jersey’s hospital, who together enabled Gary to stay safely and comfortably at home for as long as possible in accordance with his wishes. He was even able to continue making occasional trips to his favourite breakfast spots on the island with his oxygen tank in hand.
And finally I have to say thank you to the many well-wishers, be they friends, family, colleagues, ex-colleagues, viewers, radio listeners, blog readers or complete strangers, who have sent us their love and kind words since Gary received his terminal diagnosis in November 2020. At times we have found the volume of messages to be almost overwhelming, but we were always thankful for the positivity, warmth and support shown to us both.
I expect there will be many tributes made to Gary in the coming hours and days and I want to keep my words about him now as simple as I can. Through his career in journalism and broadcasting, Gary would have seen every variation of words describing someone’s strength and bravery, their wit and humour, their kindness and generosity, their stubbornness and determination, their sense of mischief and their joy in life’s simple pleasures. So, in an attempt to avoid cliché, I am just going to misquote a line of dialogue from the final episode of The West Wing, being one of Gary’s favourite programmes and something said with love and pride by one spouse to the other.
You did a lot of good, Gary. A lot of of good.
“The whole Channel Islands community is richer for having Gary in our lives”
Tim Bullock, Managing Director of Channel Eye Media, said: “Gary was a great friend and supporter for us. Gary was respected by the public and also the politicians who he would hold to account in his probing interview style.
“The whole Channel Islands community is richer for having Gary in our lives, meaning he will be very sadly missed by everyone.
“Our sincere best wishes go out to Gary’s husband Alan and their family at this very sad time.”
Senator John Le Fondré, Jersey’s Chief Minister wrote on Twitter: “So sorry to hear of the passing of GaryBurgessCI. His courage, wit and good humour were an inspiration to many. He will be greatly missed, my thoughts are with his family and friends.”
Deputy Gavin St Pier, Guernsey’s former Chief Minister, wrote on Twitter: “Receiving this news was no less sad for its inevitability. It was an honour to have known Gary and to have called him a friend. Among his many attributes, some – kindness, tolerance and optimism – many of us aspire to show more often but he carried with ease. #bemoreburgess”
Book of condolences
ITV has prepared an online book of condolences that can be accessed here.
This video interview from May last year is a great example of the breadth and depth of Gary’s understanding of the Channel Islands. Bear in mind that Gary was ill when this was filmed, yet he speaks openly and with such energy and passion.
