Dr. Hugh Donald Burns

Dr. Hugh Donald Burns, 79, of Harleysville, passed away on Friday, March 20, 2026. He was the beloved husband of Mary Ann Burns, with whom he shared 56 years of marriage.

Born in Scranton, he was the son of the late George and Bette Burns.

Dr. Burns earned his Bachelor's degree in Organic Chemistry from the University of Scranton and went on to receive his Ph.D. from Lehigh University. He held a joint appointment in the School of Public Health and Radiology at Johns Hopkins University Medical School for 12 years.

His next position was Senior Director in the Imaging Department at Merck where he worked as a radiochemist for 20 years before retiring.

He also held an appointment on the faculty of Hahnemann University Hospital.

Dr. Burns was a true pioneer in PET research which has changed drug discovery and was the dawn of radiopharmaceuticals that are making such an impact today.

He was a member of the Society of Nuclear Medicine and a founding member of the Society of Nuclear Imaging in Drug Development.

Don was an avid bird watcher and the founder of the Unami Audubon Society. His interests included travel & nature photography. He was a skilled craftsman who could build or fix anything and was always planning his next project.

He enjoyed many summers at the family cottage at Handsome Lake, which he built with his father.

In addition to his wife, he is survived by his children, Melanie Ramunno (Louis) and Eric Burns (Audrey); two granddaughters, Sophia and Christina; a sister, Betty Damron; and a brother, Kevin Burns. He was preceded in death by his brother, Brian Burns.

Services for Don will be held privately.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research. www.michaeljfox.org