Brent spent his early childhood living in Greenfield. Brent attended kindergarten and part of first grade at Weston Elementary.  When Brent was in first grade, he moved to Indianapolis and went to IPS 113 and then Moorehead Elementary in Warren Township. The family finally settled in Lawrence Township and Brent attended Oaklandon Elementary, Mary Castle Elementary, Craig Middle School and Lawrence North High School.  Brent was a great student and excelled at sports and academics. Brent loved anything competitive and was always up for a good game of something. Brent made friends easily and always had a group of friends surrounding him.

Brent was a kind, caring younger brother to Brian and Beth. When Brent was in fifth grade, younger sister Samantha joined the family. Brent loved her instantly and they maintained a tight bond throughout Brent's life. Brent lived with both Mary and Amy and Duke growing up and together they helped raise Brent into the person that he became as an adult. 

As a child, Brent spent time camping at Red Brush Park with his family. Every summer, Brian, Beth, Brent, Mary and a slew of cousins and friends would take off to southern Indiana and camp near Seymour. Brent also loved to play sports and much of his childhood was spent at Lawrence park playing youth football, traveling with the mini-bears, and playing hundreds of baseball games.

Brent Edward Burns was born on June 19, 1981 at Indiana University Hospital in Indianapolis, IN. He arrived in the early evening after three hours of pushing. Brent was born on father's day weighing 9 pounds 9.5 ounces. Mary remembers Duke wiping her face over and over again with a cool wash cloth during the labor. After the delivery, Mary's face was bright red and over dry from Duke's sympathetic ministrations. A young Dr. Cline delivered Brent and later prescribed Mary some ointment for her face. Brent was welcomed with open arms into the Burns/Verhines family. Years later, the family learned that the same Dr. Cline who delivered Brent was a fertility specialist working on the north west side of Indianapolis. By coincidence, this same man helped Beth and Ryan Shepperd conceive Josie Michelle Shepperd. The patterns of this life can be so circular.