Carol Burns Obituary

Carol (Cooney) Burns SCITUATE Carol (Cooney) Burns, age 77, of Scituate, mother, grandmother, scientist, teacher, friend, died September 20, 2008 after a brief illness. For 17 years Carol was a popular Scituate High School chemistry teacher and class advisor. She started the SHS girls golf team, and was coach for both the girls and boys teams. Following her teaching career, Carol worked as a Senior Scientist at Stone & Webster Engineering, Inc., and after retiring founded ccB Enterprises, Inc., an environmental consultancy specializing in occupational health and safety. In 1995 she was named South Shore Elderpreneur of the Year for her lifetime accomplishments in business, and for starting a third career at age 64. A graduate of Vassar College, she went on to earn a Masters in Education from Simmons College, and a Certificate of Advanced Studies from Harvard Extension School. An avid golfer and gardener, she belonged to the Scituate Garden Club and was a lifetime member of Hatherly Country Club, serving on the Board of Directors as well as on the Hatherly and South Shore Womens Golf Leagues in many different capacities. She was very active in the junior golf program, and was a senior-senior club champion in recent years. Loving mother of Gini Burns and Brenda and her husband Keith Sportack of Scituate, Edward of Waltham, Steven and his wife Milvia of Maplewood, NJ, sister of Edward (deceased) and Robert Cooney of Vero Beach, FL, grandmother of Stephanie, Brad, Kimberly, Eryn, Christina, Raymond, Elizabeth and Edward. A Funeral Mass will be celebrated on Friday, September 26, 2008 at 10 a.m. in St. Anthonys Church, Cohasset.. Visiting hours will be Thursday at McNamara-Sparrell Funeral Home, 1 Summer St. (across from St. Anthonys Church), Cohasset, from 4-8 pm. Memorial donations in Carols name may be made to The Francis Ouimet Caddie Scholarship Fund of Norton, MA. For an online guestbook, please visit our website at www.mcnamara-sparrell.com McNamara-Sparrell Brighton-Cohasset-Norwell 781-383-0200 Since 1820

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Published by The Patriot Ledger from Sep. 23 to Sep. 24, 2008.

Memories and Condolences
for Carol Burns

10 Entries

October 21, 2008

To the Burns Family,

Mrs. Burns was truly an inspiration for many people including myself. I had her during her final semester at SHS and I will never forget finding out that I had been accepted to college during her class. She made me feel so proud.

I tried to keep in touch with her during the years, I must say I did think of her often and was fortunate enough to see her just a few years ago during a visit.

She will be sorely missed. I am still in disbelief that such a wonderful person is gone.

My deepest and profound sympathy to the family.

Linda Licari (Caiger)

Catherine Shannon

September 28, 2008

To the Burns Family,

I was very sorry to hear of Carol's passing. I knew Carol through golf at Hatherly Country Club back in the late 1950's and early 1960's. Both Carol and her mother encouraged me to play with the other junior members. Eventually, I ended up winning the club championship against Carol. Both Carol and Mrs. Cooney were extremely gracious and congratulated me fulsomely...a real testament to their sportmanship and mentoring of young people.
During the club centennial celebrations, Carol invited me to come back to play Hatherly and it was a great pleasure to see her and so many old friends again. I know what a huge positive influence she was on her students at Scitute high School. She will be missed at Hatherly as well as in the local Scituate community. My thoughts and prayers are with you at this time of your great loss.

Missy Cavanaugh

September 26, 2008

To the Burns Family,

Our deepest sympathies and prayers are with you all.

We were all friends as we grew up in Scituate together.

Sincerely,
Missy and Tom Cavanaugh

Mary Penny

September 25, 2008

Carol was a friend, a fellow teacher, a fellow vigiler at St. Frances, as well as a teacher of my children at Scituate High School. She was a woman to admire. Ahead of her time, a true professional, an excellent teacher and a model to all.

She was joyful in life, with an ever positive personality. She was always planning for the future and an inspiration to all who knew her. She will be missed by all within the St. Frances community and by the many others who called her “friend”.

Chip McCarty

September 24, 2008

My deepest sympathies to Carol’s family. I knew her as a teacher, mentor, and friend. She was a treasure who enriched the lives of all who knew her, and truly made the world a better place. We kept in touch for many years after I left Scituate, and later I followed her subsequent careers through articles my father would send me from the local papers. I knew I’d get a call someday that she was gone, but it is still a shock to think that her smile is no more.

Her Master’s thesis was to develop an organic chemistry course for high school students and we were her guinea pigs that first year. Never one to mince words, she let us know in no uncertain terms that if we didn’t do well, she wouldn’t do well. But her commitment to teaching showed through the bluster, and we all worked hard as a result. There were strange days when distillations went awry and the classroom had to be evacuated, or when someone synthesized an ester described in textbooks as “the essence of rancid goat’s milk” and we had to bury the glassware in the woods.

On occasions when her duties as junior class advisor called her out of the classroom, I recall several pranks, including unauthorized use of the emergency shower and a Tiki torch experiment that involved connecting the gas jets to the aspirators in the sink to create flaming waterfalls! We got many stern looks and an occasional scolding, but she never lost her temper.

While she had much to be proud of, I never knew to boast, with two exceptions: her children and the SHS girls golf team. Attending the same school where your mother taught could not have been easy for you or her, but all of you survived the challenge and made her proud. As for the team, she never hesitated to tell people that we had the only undefeated girls golf team in all of Massachusetts. No matter that for many years we had the only girls golf team in the state, they were still undefeated!

Many students in that first organic class went on to be chemists, engineers, oceanographers, and teachers themselves, in no small part due to her efforts and dedication. Carol didn’t just teach chemistry, she touched lives, and all of us are better for it. She will be sorely missed.

Don Varnum

September 24, 2008

Our thoughts and prayers are with your family during this difficult time. We are extremely saddened by your loss. The Varnums

Sue and Dave Beldotti

September 23, 2008

Our deepest sympathy to all of Carol's family about whom she cared so much. We enjoyed her company on the golf course so much, especially at the Centennial celebrations when we had the good fortune to play in her foursome. Carol was greatly admired for all her accomplishments by her friends at Hatherly golf. I can still hear her telling me to add one club for the famed rough. We were so happy to see her playing golf this summer, enjoying the beach, and the 4th of July parade in Minot. Carol was such a great member of our community. It won't be the same without her.

Steven Ricciardi

September 23, 2008

To the Burns Family -
I am truly sorry for your loss, I had Carol for Chemistry at Scituate High. She was a terrific teacher and a great role model. My thoughts and prayers are with you.
Sincerely - Steve Ricciardi

Heather Santosuosso

September 23, 2008

My deepest sympathy and prayers are with you all. I can't wrap my brain around this. Carol was such a vibrant and wonderful person. We, at St Frances, are going to miss her tremendously.
Love, Heather

Ellen Regan Decker

September 23, 2008

To the Cooney family.

I'm so sorry for your loss. Carol was a great person.

Ellen Regan Decker

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