IN MEMORY OF KENNETH ROBERT BURNS

AUGUST 16, 1931 - JANUARY 14,  2022

Kenneth Robert Burns was born August 16,1931 to Robert W. and Helen Gray Burns at the Glendale Research Hospital then located near the location of Adventist Hospital where he passed away January14, 2022 at the age of 90. Ken joined the army in 1950 and served during the Korean War as a Physical Reconditioning Technician at the Percy Jones Hospital in Battle Creek Michigan. He met and married Patricia (Pat) Pinnick in 1951. He is survived by his wife; daughter, Terri Ann; son, Gerald Kenneth (Gary); daughter-in-law, Marci (Helmstetter) Burns; granddaughter, Lauren Heather Burns; grandson, Sean Robert-Gerald Burns; sister, Barbara Helen Burns, a missionary in Joao Pessoa, Brazil and brother, Donald Lawrence Burns of Cottonwood, Arizona. 

At an early age Ken inherited a love of sailing from his father and accompanied his parents on frequent day sails and Catalina trips in a sailboat built by his dad. Later, his mother owned a boutique on the Pike  in Long Beach and later, a fish and chips stand for which Ken peeled a bucket of potatoes every Saturday to earn money for the movies. He owned a 41-foot sailboat from 1982-1997 and skippered eight bareboat charters in the Virgin Islands, Bahamas and sailed from St. Lucia to Grenada. His love of the ocean and sailing remained a passion to the end. 

 After his army discharge, he studied pre-med in Flagstaff, Arizona and San Diego, California until the reality of family survival led to a life in sales and manufacturing. In 1967 he acquired a custom fiberglass manufacturing business and in 2002 he retired. In retirement, he and Pat visited 45 States (including Alaska), Mexico and Canada in their 32-foot RV. Their extensive travel by air, land and sea also included visits to over 100 countries and concluded with a world cruise in 2015. 

 Ken had a lifelong faith and in his later years, he joined Glendale Presbyterian Church where he served as an Elder and Sunday School teacher. Ken will be greatly missed and in his own words.  

 Life has been a great adventure

Ken Burns memorial service 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cpn3OWpMJRY

MERRY CHRISTMAS

Another year has seen fit to skirt by without too much change in our life. Ken celebrated his 90th birthday in August and, in spite of ongoing issues with hyportension (low blood pressure), hypertemsion (high) and pulmonary fibrosis, he expects to be 100 in ten years, barring no unforeseen events. Ken’spulmonary fibrosis seems no worse but he had to take a break from a medicine developed to reduce the spread of the fibrosis because of side affects. Since he has been off the drug his appetite and digestive problems have improved leading us to hope he will be able to resume the medication. We will readdress the matter with the lung Dr. after the first of the year. I do not want to leave you with the impression that I am without symptoms of aging but otherwise, I am good except for some minor pauses for a foot problem and currently, the discomfort of knees that are complaining of their old age. I am awaiting scheduling for surgery on my right knee while the left one awaits further attention. In general, we are lucky. Terri lives with us. She provides on-site surveillance and Gary helps as chauffeur and errand boy on his days off. Ken and I often lament to each othe that we were once the ones giving orders, but that role has changed. We try to be as mindful as they once were. Speaking of our children, Terri continues to maintain her practice from home via telemedicine every day except one when she goes into her office. Gary and Marci just returned from a European vacation and are contemplating more travel when they finally conclude their years of working and reach their retirement goals. Sean and Laren live in San Diego. We don’t get to see them often enough but we appreciate and welcome their text greetings and phone calls. Lauren comes to Glendale more frequently than Sean, so we see more of her. She brings lunch or dinner when the timing works. We wish you, our friends and family, a very Merry Christmas and a Happy Healthy New Year. Wishing you a Happy 2022 The Burns’ (Ken and Pat)