James Jim Burge

James (Jim) R. Burge, 83, husband of Margaret (Maggie) Burge, of Murfreesboro, TN, passed away on October 20, 2026. Jim was a native of Nicholasville, Kentucky, son of the late David William Burge and Mattie Adams Burge. He is survived by his wife of 14 years, Maggie, three sons, James D. Burge and Robert A. Burge, both of Nicholasville, and William L. Burge, Wilmore, KY; one grandson, Robert Burge II; a sister, Freda Davis, Lancaster, KY; and a brother, Thomas Burge, Mulberry, FL. He was preceded in death by his parents, two brothers, Lawrence and William Burge, and three sisters, Frances Hardgrove, Lena Jean Pemberton, and Norma Jean Houp. Jim earned his bachelor’s and master’s Degrees from the University of Kentucky and enjoyed a long career as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, spending the bulk of his working years at VA Medical Centers in Chillicothe, Ohio, Lexington, Kentucky, Poplar Bluff, Missouri, and in Murfreesboro, Tennessee before his retirement in 2009. According to Jim, he was most proud of his role in creating the VA Tennessee Valley Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) Clinic for veterans in the Middle Tennessee area. With help from the Medical Center’s administration and support from the Disabled American Veterans (DAV), the SCI Clinic began operating in 2000. Jim often told friends that his greatest privilege was serving the veterans of America whom he so greatly admired. Jim was a lifelong lover of books, and as an adult his favorite hobbies were buying, reading, trading, and selling books, a hobby that began when he was a young child reading and trading comic books. Many friends and acquaintances nicknamed him “The Bookman.” He enjoyed traveling with his wife, Maggie, visiting family, and going to yard sales. He considered Maggie the love of his life and felt fortunate to have met a lady of her caliber so late in life. Graveside services will be held November 7, 2026, at Maple Grove Cemetery.