John Burns

John (Jack) Francis Burns Jr., age 88, passed away peacefully surrounded by caring family in his youngest child's home in Fitchburg, Massachusetts on September 17, 2024. Jack was born on July 28, 1936 in Northport, NY to the late John (Mickey) F Burns Sr. and Florence (Burns) Burns. Jack was the loving husband to the late Margaret (Peggy) Smith Burns.

Stories of Jack's younger years painted pictures of mischief and lively movement; biking down the sidewalks of Northport with friends, playing basketball and baseball with the best of them, running his paper route as he grew his determined and relentless work ethic from a young age, and always carrying a joke or a wisecrack with him. Jack graduated from Northport high school and passed by a baseball scholarship to enlist in the United States Navy where he proudly served on the USS Shangri-La.

We all fondly remember Jack as a "MacGyver" - the man who could create a solution to any problem, fix whatever was broken or build whatever was needed, with his vast number of tools and knowledge. After Jack apprenticed in a local drafting shop as a teenager, he was inspired to spend his career as a skilled tradesman working with his hands and creativity as a sheet metal mechanic, along with building his own home, chopping firewood for a cabin in the woods, soldering tiny toys for his children's dolls and building countless rocking boards for Peggy's kindergarten classroom.

Jack leaned fearlessly into expansive and immense questions related to philosophy, the universe and the afterlife. He was an avid reader and consumed an almost constant stream of information related to his numerous passions of health, the human body and mind, history and social structures and politics. Jack's love of big band and jazz music filled most car rides and he greatly enjoyed the simple pleasure of enthusiastically watching his favorite sports and spending time with his closest friend.

Jack's dedication and love to his family was constant and unwavering. He is missed and survived by his children Karen Burns Alloway and husband Lou of PA, Kristine Burns Murillo of NJ, Kayden Burns of MA, sister Patricia Schauss of NY, granddaughters Samantha Murillo and Erin Hackwelder of NJ, niece Kim Hudson of NY, and several great nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his wife Peggy Burns, son Douglas Burns, nephew Dean Schauss and sister Barbara Burns.

A private memorial service will be held by the family at a later date, and interment will take place at the Princeton Cemetery at 29 Greenview Ave, Princeton NJ.