JAMES BURNS

James “Jim” R. Burns, of Neenah, age 82, passed away peacefully at his home, surrounded by his family, on Wednesday, September 7, 2016.  Jim was preceded in death by his wife, Margaret.

Survivors include four children: Kathleen, Bob (Theresa), Mike (Nora), Maureen (Peter Beck); four grandchildren: Patrick, Sean, Abby and Maggie; two sisters: Joanne Burns, Kathy (Bill) Feller; two brothers-in-law Bob (Mary) Christ, Jim Christ; cousins, numerous nieces, nephews and other special relatives, neighbors and friends.

Jim was born June 13, 1934 in Green Bay, son of the late James and Josephine (Dantine) Burns.  St. Francis Xavier parish in DePere provided the foundations of his faith.  He attended grade school and proudly served Mass at St. Francis. He attended St. Norbert High School founded by the Norbertines, whose educational commitment and spirituality he valued. He went on to study accounting at St. Norbert College and joined the ROTC program.  Upon graduating from St. Norbert, he was commissioned as an officer and served two years in the US Army at Fort Huachuca, AZ, and spoke fondly of his years there.  He received his Master of Business Administration degree from UW-Madison, but admitted he never spent much time on campus as he was dating a nice girl back in Green Bay he wanted to spend time with.  Jim married that girl, the love of his life, Margaret Ann [Christ] on June 25, 1960.  They enjoyed 53 years together.

He began his career with American Can Paper Company in Neenah which transferred him and Margaret to Newnan, Georgia, a month after they were married.  They spent 2 1/2 years there and would say, “We went down as the two of us and came back as 4” with children Kathleen and Bob.  Settling in Neenah, he and Margaret joined St. Gabriel Parish and became involved in the community there.  They had two more children, Mike and Maureen, and built a house west of Neenah. He found a new career in public accounting, as his dad had done, in a firm in Appleton until his retirement.

A lifelong athlete, he enjoyed golf and basketball, playing both in school, and passed on his love of golf to his children and grandchildren.  He always had a golf tee in his pocket and the Golf Channel on TV.  He was born a Packer fan and raised his children and grandchildren on the lore of, and loyalty to, the Packers.  He started going to games with his dad when he was 6 years old, enjoying attending those games with his wife and kids.  He enthusiastically introduced newcomers to the Lambeau Field Packers' experience.

He was equally proud of his Belgian and Irish roots.  He enjoyed lifelong contact and gatherings with his Belgian relatives.  Upon returning from family trips to Ireland, he used words not often found in his vocabulary, to express his wonder and appreciation for that part of his heritage.

He was a lifelong supporter of Catholic education, and he and Margaret served to support their children's schools – St. Gabriel and St. Mary Central High School, serving on the school board, finance committees, athletic committees, and memorably working the smoke-filled bingo nights to support St. Mary's athletics.  He was often the only dad at weekday afternoon ball games, signing out at the office to do “consulting.” 

He and Margaret supported their children, and traveled to see them in their various locations over the years, and enjoyed road trips around the US and Canada in his retirement years.  They volunteered together for a number of local charities, and they could be seen in the kitchen at St. Gabe's helping for various functions.  They instilled in their children a sense of responsibility and generosity toward those in need.

Jim's family wishes to thank Theda Care At Home nurses Jessica, Kelly, Amber and Paige, and CNA Beth, for their kind and competent care of Jim in his last 9 months.  It enabled him to fulfill his wishes to remain at home.  They are grateful too, for the relatives and friends, specifically Theresa Burns, Bob and Mary Christ, Kathy Feller and Theresa Rusch for assisting him and his children in this past year.

The Mass of Resurrection will be held at 12:00  PM Noon on Saturday, September 17, 2016, at St. Gabriel Catholic Church, 900 Geiger St., Neenah, with Fr. Larry Seidl officiating.  The visitation will be held at the church on Saturday from 10:00 AM until the hour of Mass.  Military honors will be performed by the U.S. Army and the Neenah-Menasha Veterans Honor Guard.  In lieu of flowers a memorial is being established for St. Gabriel Parish.