We miss my Dad terribly,

More than words can say. 

Thought we'd have more time with him,

but here we are today. 

He was honest, funny, caring and kind. 

He was clean in heart, and body, & in mind. 

We agreed with him on most everything -

music, TV, movies, sports, politics & religion. 

Because of my Dad, I value good manners, morals

integrity, and tradition. 

He was loved by so many. And many of us understood...

He lived his life very well & was always doing good. 

He was an overcomer, a role model & an excellent Dad. 

I know I was blessed to have him as a father. 

I know just what I had. 

He was our inspiration, our hero & our friend. 

I'll forever admire him & pray that I'll see his face again. 

THESE WERE A FEW OF MY FAVORITE THINGS~

MUSICIANS/MUSICAL TASTES—

Alison Krauss & Union Station, Enya, Plumb, Eddie Arnold, Johnny Mathis, Sam Cook, Classical, Symphonic, Dave Matthews Band, Heart, Martina McBride, Wilson Phillips, Chicago, Sugarland, Matt Redman, Big Daddy Weave, Fine Young Cannibals, Supertramp, Third Day, Lyle Lovett, Toby Keith, Alicia Keys, Norah Jones, Adele

FOODS & DRINKS—

Chocolate Cake w/ Chocolate Frosting, Peanuts, Eggs Over Easy, Potatoes, Milk Chocolates, (w/ orange and mint flavors) Ovaltine, Cream o’ Wheat, Apple Juice, 16 oz. Skinny Mocha No Whip, Orange Marmalade, Cream-Sicles, Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, Tillamook Peach Yogurt, Sandwiches of P-Nut Butter, Mayo, Dill Pickles and optional cheese, Cracked Wheat Bread, Honey, Frosted Mini-Wheat, Mexican, stews, chili, coffee, V-8, burger-n-fries, Italian, oysters, crm cheese frost’d cinnamon rolls.

BIBLE VERSE—

“For I know the plans I have for you,” says the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a future and a hope.” –Jeremiah 29:11 (my life verse)

PASTIMES—

Spending time with my wife & family; walking, hiking, exploring with my dogs—one at a time; beach-combing, rock-hounding, working around my beloved Summer Hill; crossword puzzles; road trips; going to any parade anywhere, any time; any marching band anywhere, any time; going to classic car shows with Susie; exploring Oregon’s Outback; talk radio, enjoying the view from the deck, planning Summer Hill’s future developm’t

CHURCHES—

Redmond Christian Church, as Pastored by Greg Strubhar

Cannon Beach Community Presbyterian Church as Pastored by David Robinson, (circa 1990—1996)

The Chapel, Amherst, NY, as Pastored by Jerry Gillis

BOOKS & AUTHORS—

This Boy’s Life by Tobias Wolff

The Catcher In The Rye by J.D. Salinger

>Sometimes A Great Notion by Ken Kesey

>The World According To Garp by John Irving

>Jonathan Livingston Seagull by Richard Bach

>Angela’s Ashes by Frank McCourt

>Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut

>The Liar’s Club: A Memoir by Mary Karr

>October Sky by Homer Hickam, Jr.

>The Glass Castle by Jeanette Walls

>Bird by Bird; Blue Shoe by Anne Lamott

>Of Human Bondage by Somerset Maugham

>The Old Man and The Sea by Ernest Hemingway

>Dancing At The Rascal Fair by Ivan Doig

>The Word For World Is Forest by Ursula K. LeGuin

>We Were The Mulvaneys; The Gravedigger’s Daughter by Joyce Carol Oates

>A Boy Named It by Dave Pelzer

>Night by Elie Wiesel

>The Martian by Andy Weir

>Belljar by Sylvia Plath

>From Memory to Art by Judith Barrington

>Blackbird by Jennifer Lauch

>Silent Spring by Rachel Carson

MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS

Bagpipes, Harmonica, Drums (esp. bongos), Acoustic Guitar, Alto Sax, Spoons

HOBBIES--​

Writing, Reading, Music, Scuba Diving, Counting Train Boxcars & Engines; US Stamp & Coin Collecting; Woodworking & burning

OCCUPATIONS, JOBS—

Journalist, Property Manager, Business Owner, Inventory Controller, Real Estate Agent, Freelance Writer, Team-Jobs With Susie, Flipping Fixer-Uppers, Maintenance Man, City Bus Driver, Aircraft Sub-assembly, EBay Seller, Grocery Buyer, Baker (& Driver)

TV SHOWS—

American Pickers, Curse of Oak Island, Fixer Upper, Boxing Events, Downton Abby, Breaking Bad, NBA Trailblazers Games, WWII Documentaries, Hunting Hitler, The Voice, American Idol, America’s Got Talent, Shark Tank, King of Queens, Undercover Boss, Jeopardy, Wheel of Fortune, Cops, Antiques Roadshow, Everybody Loves Raymond, Master Chef, Counting Cars, In Touch Ministries, Jesse Duplantis,

MOVIES—Hunt For Red October, Planes Trains & Automobiles, Lawrence of Arabia; The Out of Towners; The In-Laws; Bandits: A Beautiful Mind; Kindergarten COP; In Bruges; Wallace & Grommet, The Heat, This Boy’s Life, Stand By Me, Wait Until Dark (Susie & I were in that play when we got engaged—she was the blind lady; I was the always-snacking thug), Cinderella Man, Fargo, Barton Fink, Wonder Boys, Dead Poets Society, Office Space, Odd Couple, Save The Tiger, Jackie Brown

HEROES, BEST FRIENDS & THE REAL DEALS—

Jesus, Superman, Navy Pal “Gup” (Mike Grant), Cork (RIP), Kenny (RIP), Pastor Greg, Pastor David, Stan Broaddus (RIP), Bill Sager, Author Don James (RIP)

CHRISTMAS CAROL—

Little Drummer Boy

BIRD—

Quail (“They’re always so enthusiastic and optimistic!”)

CARS—

’41 Ford Coupe, ’53 Merc, ’50 Studebaker, ’54 Chev Bel Air, ’59-’60 Cadillac Deville

In Memory of David H Burns

December 9, 2017

<Lisa>

Hello. I’m Lisa Palmer, David’s older daughter. I want to thank you all for coming today. These past several months when dad suffered so much have been so hard for all of us. But your presence here today, your cards, your words of kindness and encouragement, your constant prayers have been an incredible help. Thank you so much.

<Aaron>

Hi. My name is Aaron. I’m David’s son-in-law, and I am deeply honored that Susie asked me to be standing before you all today to help represent the family.

I’ll remember David for his strength. I don’t necessarily mean physical strength - although he had that too. Those Burns men may be on the smaller side, but they are built from tough stock. David was as fond and capable of physical labor as anyone I’ve ever seen. Even the record snow falls during his time in Buffalo, New York were no match for the relentless Burns’ shovel and the strong back that wielded it. But, no what I’ll remember most is his strength of character.

I will remember his strength of perseverance and determination. His strength of courage and dignity through the enormous struggles David faced both in the beginning and the end of his life. No man should have to endure what he did. And yet he did.

<Lisa>

I’ve always thought of our dad as being an overcomer. If you know anything about his life story, you know that he was simply inspirational. And he overcame an awful lot as a child. Dad and his family moved frequently when he was a kid. And when his parents were no longer around, Dad spent his youth being passed around from relative to relative to orphanage to various foster homes. When he was 15, he struck out on his own. He found an abandoned bunkhouse in the logging camp where he had been living and he lived there for a time, scavenging food and chopping wood for heat. Still going to school though. And if he missed the bus, walking many many miles to get back home. He loved to learn. He especially loved English, which would be his major later on at Portland State.

The family of Les and Delores Blount took him in when he was 15, and probably saved his life. Dad then experienced his first stable home life, in a family of two parents and four other kids. He once told me he felt he never adequately expressed his gratitude to the Blounts, but I’m pretty sure they knew, and I think they loved being able to help him. They were proud of the man he became.

<Aaron>

When David was old enough, he joined the Navy. He was a sonar technician, serving aboard destroyers during the Vietnam era, in the Caribbean during the Cuban Missile Crisis, and he had tours of duty in the Mediterranean and the Black Sea.

<Lisa>

Dad started drinking as a young man. He drank a lot in his Navy days and beyond. But he managed to give it up, cold turkey, in 1986 and never touched another drop for the rest of his life. Thirty one years clean and sober, he would say. He was a man of such determination and strength.

After his honorable discharge from the Navy in ’66, Dad returned to his home and civilian life in Oregon. He would meet the love of his life in a newly forming community theatre group. The Blounts insisted that he go to the next theatre group meeting started by Susie and her former drama coach. I guess Dad figured it was something different to do besides closing down another tavern. It was love at first sight for them, in that high school classroom, back in the summer of ’68. After a brief courtship, first date in August, engaged in September, they married the following April, 1969. Mom would say it was the hand of God that brought them together. They were married for 48 years. Dad adored Mom and that was obvious to everyone. Mom, thank you for loving Dad like you did. Thank you for always being there for him and us and for seeing him through these difficult days. He loved and appreciated you SO much.

I was born a little less than a year after Dad & Mom were married. Then my sister Jami came along three years later. Dad was the best father we could have ever hoped for. He was kind, he was smart, he was funny. (He was funny even at the end, when he could almost not speak anymore.)

<Aaron>

I’ll remember David as a caring and loving father. You know, I realized the other day that I’ve had the pleasure of knowing David for 30 years now. When I was 18, I first met his beautiful daughter, Lisa and my world stopped. No, that’s not totally accurate. When I first SAW his daughter, Lisa, my world stopped. And I fell in love. It turned out she was not just beautiful on the outside. She was a deeply caring and compassionate person that was fun and full of surprises and highly creative with a way for words. I realize now that so much of who David was is reflected in both of his daughters. Many of you know his younger and also beautiful daughter, Jami, who regularly reflects David’s lessons of both deep determination and enormous generosity. His legacy is his daughters. And I know he is so proud of them both.

<Lisa>

All his life, Dad’s passion was for writing. He loved to laugh and joke around and to make others laugh, but his true nature was more contemplative. He was a

published author, debuting with Day Follow Night, From Chaos to Redemption, which is now out of print, but Mom is determined to have it reprinted down the road. Dad wrote autobiographical pieces too, including his magnum opus, his memoir which he finished a few months before he passed away, at the end, typing with one finger on his left hand. He sold real estate quite successfully for many years too, but writing was his passion. My kids, Sophie and Henry, loved to hear Grandpa’s funny stories.

<Aaron>

I will remember David as a man of integrity. A man of faith. And a man of God. One blessing in the way David left us was that it did allow to recognize the importance of time and we took the chance to sit down with him and have conversations we may not have otherwise. When asked what his proudest moment was he said, “When I became a Christian.” Susie has eloquently written that the glorious Hand of God has routinely brought guidance to David throughout his life, ushering him out of his most troubled times. It was finding Jesus 31 years ago that finally gave him the strength to give up drinking. And just a few years ago, David had what he later described as a true epiphany. Jesus spoke to him in a sudden moment of clarity and he was able to gain a new perspective on life and its meaning in his final year. This time the Hand of God led him on a mission. He got involved in “Celebrate Recovery” at this very church. David was attracted to their alliterative call for all those with “Hurts Habits and Hangups.” He crafted and delivered a masterpiece of encouragement through the telling of his own story, to inspire others with emotional struggles and addiction. He truly LOVED that time and being a mentor for his fellow Celebrate Recovery members.

<Lisa>

And he was a man of great integrity. He worked hard all his life. I never knew anyone with a stronger work ethic.

Some of the best memories I have of my dad when I was little involve him making things and cooking. He was often coming up with original and unusual and fun dishes for us kids, most notably his volcano meatloaf, which I have tried replicating for my own kids.

Sometimes Dad would wink at you, from across the room, or sitting right next to you. When he winked at me, it always made me feel golden and that everything was GOOD. He didn’t have to say a word, but wink, and you knew you were loved.

<Aaron>

Over the years I’ve known David, there are a few key moments that have stuck with me. The first is my first impression of him - and his of me. I was the clueless 18 year-old new boyfriend calling his daughter at 11:00 one night. David answered the phone and gave me an appropriate tongue-lashing, coming to the defense of his daughter and teaching respect for family and reasonable hours. Not a great first impression. But I was determined myself.

The second key moment is years later when I sat nervously across the table from David and Susie. I was there with them in secret to ask them a very important question. After my 8th or 9th cup of coffee, I had finally gotten up the courage to say it. “May I have your daughter’s hand in marriage?” There was a brief moment of silence. But when I looked up from my plate, I saw David’s face, and he was smiling. I can’t adequately express to you how joyful his approval made me feel. I could see pride in his face, and I was immensely honored. I really wanted him to be proud of me and I knew from that moment that I would not let him down.

The last key David moment for me happened during one of last times I saw him. I was in the room with Susie and Lisa at the Hospice House and were saying our goodbyes for the night. David had lost his ability to speak by then and, on heavy narcotics, was struggling to stay engaged. But I was telling him about the fact that I had finally just gotten a new job offer, it was like there was renewed clarity and a sparkle in his eyes. And then he winked at me. A real deliberate slow wink saying, “Good work, son.” The same familiar joy flooded me again in that moment. That was my last meaningful interaction with him, but I hope he’s watching because I plan to continue to try to make him proud.

<Lisa>

Dad had so many close calls throughout his life, times when he survived impossible odds. Car crashes, fires, near drownings, serious injuries. But he came through them all. He would say later that he wasn’t sure what he was being saved for, and that he hadn’t done anything big with his life. Well, Dad, you have done big things. The biggest. Loving and helping others, being an example of a good man, a good loving husband and father. Without you, I couldn’t be living the good life I am and my 2 precious children wouldn’t be brightening this world. You’ve helped so many people deal with their personal struggles through talking about your own, you’ve comforted, advised, educated and entertained thousands through your writings, you’ve spread kindness and laughter. Your impact has been far and wide. I think of you as my buddy, Dad, a fellow lover of the written word, someone I could always talk books with. And you always made me laugh. Even in dark times. You are a gem. An extraordinary man. That’s what you were saved for. To show us what that looks like.

When Dad told me about his epiphany, he said that God had shown him that he was worthy and he no longer needed to worry, that he didn’t need anger in his life anymore. I like to think that might be Dad’s message to us on a day like this: we need not worry. Everything is in God’s hands. We can let go of anger, as it harms only us.

Dad, we’re going to miss your insights, your wisdom and your strength, and your courage. I will really miss your wit and your dazzling blue eyes. You have inspired me to live a better life. And now when I look up at the night sky, I’ll be watching for the one star that winks at me. I love you forever, Dad.