Joan Burns

Joan Lydgate Burns, 92, peacefully passed away at her home in Hillsboro, Oregon on Tuesday, November 25th, 2025.
Born in Lihue, Kauai, Hawaii, Joan was the 3rd daughter of John Mortimer and Hallie Davis Lydgate and a granddaughter of Rev. J. M. Lydgate. She grew up on Kauai until the bombing of Pearl Harbor in 1941. The family went to stay with relatives in Seattle for the duration of WWII where Joan and her sisters, Lois and Margie, attended St. Nicholas School for Girls and the University of Washington. She married and raised two children in the Seattle area, but the 9 acre horse farm was a beloved home.
Upon her marriage to Matt Burns in 1976, the couple moved and built a home on Lydgate family land at Haena on Kauai where they spend many happy years. Joan was blessed to have travelled the world (Europe, Japan and Africa) with Matt and dear friends. She enjoyed her work in sales at Papillon Helicopters as well as playing ukulele and singing with her family and local friends at reunions and Tahiti Nui in Hanalei.
Matt and Joan moved to Oak Harbor, Whidbey Island, Washington where they lived from 1996-2024. Joan was a deacon at Whidbey Presbyterian Church, served with Stephen Ministries and was an active PEO member since 2001. She and Matt were married for 45 years until his passing in 2021.
Joan will be remembered for her bright smile, generous spirit and gracious, positive fun-loving nature as well as her love of Kauai and 'ohana.
Joan is survived by her daughter, Laurie Petroske, son Steve Haack, daughter-in-law Jean, stepson Casey Burns and wife Karen, stepdaughter Becky Burns Quigley and husband Tim, stepdaughter Danne Burns, 8 treasured grandchildren and 14 beautiful great-grandchildren.
Aloha nui loa