Patrick J. Burns

Patrick Burns, 51, died suddenly on February 23, 2025 on his boat, the MV Pelican, in Friday Harbor, Washington.
He was predeceased by his mother, Gail A. Burns; he is survived by his father, James J. Burns of Delray Beach, Florida; his brother, James of Delray Beach Florida; his sister, Michele (Brian) Blejwas of Delray Beach, Florida; his niece, Kelly Blejwas of Long Valley, New Jersey; his nephew, Andrew Blejwas of Holgate, New Jersey; and many aunts, uncles and cousins.
Pat was born in Trenton, New Jersey and was educated in the Hamilton Township, New Jersey school system. After graduating from Notre Dame High School in Lawrence Township, New Jersey, Pat attended St. Leo University in Tampa, Florida where he earned a degree in accounting.
Patrick worked as a securities trader. His career began as an Assistant Broker at the Tampa office of Raymond James where he was soon promoted to an International Trader. After several years at Raymond James, Pat moved to Chicago and worked first for E-Trade Financial and then for Citadel as an International Trader.
During his time in Chicago, Pat also enjoyed spending time at his home in Saugatuck, Michigan and with Yella, a yellow Labrador who stayed by Pat's side for 15 years of adventure. While Patrick liked Saugatuck for its proximity to Lake Michigan, he had a great love for Long Beach Island (LBI), New Jersey where he spent all or part of summers growing up. At LBI, Pat enjoyed boating, water skiing and clamming, and was LBI's favorite lifeguard at the LBI Water Slide in Beach Haven.
In retirement, Pat's love of water eventually led him to Washington state where he obtained a 100-ton Captain license, became a certified Marine Naturalist in the study of whales and purchased a 78' Trawler, the MV Pelican. With Pat at the helm, the Pelican was used for trips to Alaska, numerous promotional activities, and as the starting boat for many yachting races in the Friday Harbor area.
Pat also loved music. Although Pat was known to travel far and wide (no distance mattered) to attend Grateful Dead and Phish concerts, his love of music was varied and extended far beyond the Grateful Dead and Phish bands.
Pat loved sports and played varsity hockey all four years at Notre Dame. During his time in Tampa, Pat held season tickets to see the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, his favorite football team; however, regardless of where he lived, Pat remained a fan of the Philadelphia Phillies. In short, Patrick was a dedicated worker and family person who lived life to the fullest. He was loved by all who knew him and will be sorely missed.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Friday, March 21, 2025, at 10:30 a.m. at Our Lady of Sorrows Church, 3816 East State St. Extension, Hamilton, NJ 08619.
Interment will follow at Saint Mary's Cemetery in Hamilton.
A Memorial Gathering for family and friends will be held on Thursday, March 20, 2025, from 4:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. at the Saul Colonial Home, 3795 Nottingham Way, Hamilton Square, NJ.
In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made in Patrick's memory to the Alzheimer's Association by visiting In Memory Of at inmemof.org.