His father, Dr. Lucius E. Burch, was the Dean of Vanderbilt University Medical School, and his mother was the former Sarah ("Sadie") Polk Cooper.

[2] Burch wrote articles on diverse topics, ranging from hunting and fishing to civic affairs and politics.

"[1] An avid outdoorsman and an amateur pilot, Burch traveled widely to engage in hunting, fishing, hiking, camping, and scuba-diving.

[2] They resided in Collierville, Tennessee, and also maintained a summer cottage at Beersheba Springs that had belonged to Lucius' parents.

[11][12] His daughter, the late Lucia Burch, was the longtime lover, muse and collaborator of the photographer William Eggleston.

[citation needed] In the late 1990s, after her husband's death, Elsie Caldwell Burch donated $575,000 toward the construction of a new public library in Collierville.