Ragan Burt Madden

Ragan Burt Madden was born November 28, 1938, in Ruston, LA and died May 3, 2025 after a hard fought battle with cancer. He grew up in Ruston attending Ruston High School, where he played on the 1956 State Championship basketball team his senior year. He graduated from Louisiana Tech University in 1960, and then attended Auburn University where he received a Master’s degree in mathematics in 1962. He began working for NASA in Hampton, VA as a computer programmer in 1964, where he stayed for several years. After leaving NASA, he attended Virginia Tech University receiving a PhD in statistics in 1976. He then began a long career as a college professor, first teaching at Shippensburg University in Pennsylvania, and then at the University of Arkansas-Little Rock. After retirement, he moved to Shreveport, LA to be nearer family.

Ragan Burt loved attending the Shreveport Symphony concerts, Shreveport Opera productions, and many other types of musical concerts and plays at The Strand and other venues. He also loved a good poker game where he won more than he lost.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Margaret and Ragan Madden, and a niece, Elizabeth Harrison. He is survived by his sisters, Betty Harrison (Johnny) and Marilyn Madden; niece, Anne Sutton (Jay); nephews, David and Keith Harrison; great-nephew, Ragan Harrison.

The family would like to give special thanks to his compassionate caregivers: Michelle Barrett and Hazel Gibson, and to the wonderful nurses and staff at Bristol Hospice.

There will be a private family memorial service in Simsboro, LA  Saturday May 10th.