Charles Donald Burnett

1935 - 2024

Charles Donald Burnett
Charles Donald Burnett, 89, of Riverside, Connecticut passed away suddenly in his home on October 6, 2024, surrounded by family after a brief but courageous battle with pancreatic cancer. He was a cherished husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather.
Don was born in Mount Vernon, Illinois on September 29, 1935, to Charles F. and Judith (Hodge) Burnett and spent his formative years in LaPorte, Indiana honing his skills at basketball and on the piano. He attended Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts (Bachelor of Arts, Economics, 1957) where he met his wife, Jara (nee Nemec), to whom he was married for sixty-five years.
Upon graduation from Harvard, Don served in the Army Security Agency from 1957-1960 before embarking on a long career in Management Consulting, working for such companies as General Electric, Booz Allen Hamilton and PwC. Don retired as a Partner from PwC with twenty-three years of service in 2000. In retirement, he enjoyed taking riverboat cruises throughout Europe and Central/South America with Jara and notably taking his children, their spouses, and his grandchildren to Europe, especially to Prague, the birthplace of Jara. Don also spent countless hours learning the game of golf, took pleasure in reading mystery novels, relished extending his unbeaten streak in Solitaire, and adored spending time with family.
A forty-seven-year resident of Riverside, Connecticut, Don developed many fond relationships and memories. He enjoyed spending time with his friends while: playing tennis, paddle tennis, and golf at Innis Arden Golf Club; organizing February ski weeks to Ski Montcalm in Rawdon, Quebec; and playing the piano energetically for those gathered around, all singing such classics as Blue Suede Shoes, Bad, Bad LeRoy Brown, and various holiday tunes. In his later years, Don spent much time in the serenity and privacy of the screened-in porch of his beloved home with family and friends and watching his favorite sports teams, the New York Yankees and UConn Men's and Women's basketball teams. Most of all, Don was devoted to his family and was fortunate to have many members living in Town.
Don was preceded in death by daughter Katherine Enquist (John); and is survived by his loving wife, Jara; children Kristina Baldwin (Ted) of Winnetka, Illinois and Misa Burnett (Sarah) of Old Greenwich, Connecticut; grandchildren Annabel Middleton (Matthew) and John Enquist, Jr., Ted and Anne Baldwin, and Elizabeth and Sasha Burnett; great-grandchild Rose Middleton; sisters-in-law Lida de Fougerolles and Judy Nemec; and many nephews.
The family wishes to express their sincere gratitude to longtime caregiver and friend, Maclioni Lopez, and his sister, Patty, for their kindness, support, and care shown to Don during the final years of his life.
A Celebration of Don's Life will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Sunday, November 10, 2024, at Innis Arden Golf Club in Old Greenwich, Connecticut. All are welcome to attend. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations can be made to The American Cancer Society.