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BORN
1937
DIED
2017
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Ernest Burniston Obituary
October 26, 1937-November 5, 2017
Raleigh
On November 5, 2017, we lost our Ernest. He was preceded in death by his eldest son, Clive, a young man who inherited his dad's curly hair and his infectious smile. Ernie's impact will continue through his wife, Bella, his children, Carol (Mike), Mark (Jeff), and Helen (Scott), his grandchildren, Devon (Justin), Michelle, Anna, Mia, and Sara, and his newborn great-granddaughter, Isabella. Four generations of Americans that are here because a gifted Yorkshireman was given the opportunity to immigrate and had the courage to take it.
Born just before the start of World War II in the northern England steel town of Sheffield, Ernie was the baby boy of the family, doted over by his two older sisters. His father, Ernest, worked in the steel mills but he and Ernie's mother, Louisa, recognized early on that their son was going to have opportunities beyond the mills of Sheffield. A talented student and musician, Ernie went to Sir John Cass College, London University. It was there that he met "that London woman", marrying Bella only months after meeting and with whom he would walk through life, side by side, for the next 58 years.
An exceptional academic talent, Ernie completed his undergraduate degree in Mathematics with such distinction that he was taken immediately into his doctoral program at Birkbeck College, London University. Upon receiving his PhD, he began teaching at Sir John Cass College. In 1965, he came to N.C. State with an intent to stay six months and remained at the university for 37 years, serving as the department head for 12 years.
A man of serious intellect coupled with a boyish sense of humor, Ernie was a rare combination that was always the life of the party and the tutor of last resort for his children and grandchildren for all academic pursuits. He was a talented clarinetist who had to make a choice between pursuing a career in academia or the arts, he chose academia but he continued to play the clarinet both professionally and recreationally for most of his life. In North Carolina, he took up sailing, taking his family on weekend cruises along the coast setting sail from Topsail Island. Off the water, his weekends were spent rebuilding classic British roadsters. He lived a vigorous life, enjoying running and swimming and keeping himself fit until his battle with non-Hodgkin lymphoma and the rounds of chemotherapy took their toll on his body.
Ernie had his entire family at his house for his 80th birthday party just two weeks before his death. At the time, there was no reason to think that this was the last time we would all be together but, in retrospect, we are so very thankful we were. This picture of him holding his great-granddaughter shortly after her birth, she on her way into this world, he on his way out, is something we will all cherish.
A marvelous life of personal distinction and worldly impact, Ernie will live on in each of us and the students he educated. For those of us that were closest to him, there will be times when we will think of his love of Frank Sinatra's voice and we will hear it, singing the words that characterize Ernie's life.
Regrets, I've had a few But then again, too few to mention. I did what I had to do And saw it through without exemption.
I planned each charted course Each careful step along the byway And more, much more than this, I did it my way.
A gathering of remembrance is planned at 4:00pm on Friday, November 10 at the N.C. State University Club, 4200 Hillsborough St., Raleigh, NC 27606.
In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to either Girl Up (girlup.org) or Oceana (oceana.org).
Condolences may be made to www.brownwynne.com
To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.
Memories and Condolences
for Ernest Burniston
Sponsored by Brown-Wynne Funeral Home & Crematory.
Anthony
January 10, 2023
November 13, 2017
Dear Mrs. Burniston, Carol, Mark, and Helen: I was greatly saddened to hear of Dr. Burniston's passing. He was a wonderful man and a great, lifelong friend to my father. I still remember Dr. Burniston's lively, fun-loving, and mischievous laughter at the math department poker parties at our house, and I must admit that my teenage vocabulary was greatly enhanced by listening in on his witty and colorful banter. He lived life to the fullest, and will be sorely missed by all who had the honor of knowing him. Please accept my sincerest condolences for your loss.
With deepest sympathies,
Jim Koh
Graham Read
November 13, 2017
Ernie and I were students at Sir John Cass in the City of London, in the late 1950s.
I was lucky enough to be in a very clever group, and Ernie was the brightest of the bright. He was always good fun and we did all the things that students are supposed to do - including a drunken pub crawl by boat down the river Thames. There was also a memorable evening when Ernie played his clarinet, with my dad on piano, in the family pub..
I'm sure that Ernie was always the same youngster at heart, whatever his age, and he is going to be sorely missed by all his family and friends.
Andy Smith
November 12, 2017
My sincere sympathy to the Burniston family. I was fortunate to be a student of Dr. Burniston in MA 501 about 20 years ago, and regarded him as a particularly excellent teacher with a love of his field that was inspiring. Over the course of his career, he would have taught thousands of students. I am sure there are many who saw him after class and found him to be genuinely concerned with each individual. His love of mathematics lives on in those he taught, inspired and mentored.
Scott Strickland
November 12, 2017
Helen and I started dating when I was 19 and she was 18, 30 years ago. Over those three decades, I know there must have been times when Dr. Burniston was concerned that his baby girl was hitching her wagon to a hayseed loser from Greensboro, a College of Humanities and Social Sciences student/graduate of all things.
The line between success and failure is razor-thin and most people on either side of that line do not realize it. I have crossed over that line, back and forth, over these thirty years. One of the things I've learned is when life knocks you flat on your back, the first thing you lose is your confidence. As I worked my way through my setbacks, Dr. Burniston never expressed concern to me about whether I was going to be able to right the ship. He may well have expressed concerns to Bella but never to me and, more importantly, never to Helen. What he did was convey a quiet confidence, a sense of you got this. When confidence is where you need the most support, this is an invaluable gift.
A benefit of setbacks is that they open up new opportunities in life. The old cliché holds true, as one door closes, another opens. Because I lost my job in Texas, we were free to move back to North Carolina. As a result, my kids got to live three miles from their maternal grandparents for the last eight years of their grandfather's life (Dr. Burniston would have corrected me, it's actually 7 years, 10 months). The girls got to learn and laugh with him in a way they never would have been able to do if we stayed in Texas.
His baby girl is still hitched to a Greensboro hayseed but I am confident that at the end he knew, I got this. This is due in no small measure to how he treated me over the last 30 years, through the ups and downs, as I grew from a boy to a man. For that, I am eternally grateful.
Tom Crawshaw
November 12, 2017
To paraphrase John O'Hara on Gershwin; Ernest Burniston died on November 5th 2017, but I don't have to believe it if I don't want to. Ernest was my stellar Uncle, my Mom's adored brother, my Grandparents loved and cherished son. To us all, Ernest lived on a loftier intellectual plane somewhere, inhabited only by those who understood mathematics to a degree that was totally incomprehensible to the rest of us. I remember coming across a Firth Park Grammar School report of his at his Mom's house in Sheffield. The teachers all gave their views on Ernie's progress; each one seemingly trying to find different ways of expressing how well Ernie was doing in the subjects they taught; the greatest accolade coming from his maths teacher. It was a surreal report, the like of which I've never seen before or since. The Headmaster signed it off with a remark of his own. He wrote this short line; 'We expect great things of Ernest'. He wasn't to be disappointed was he? Buoyed by all this adoration, Ernest would have been forgiven for gaining a certain level of self- importance in life, but he never did. Ernest was a great man on many levels and great people just don't do that sort of thing. He was just a great character, warm and welcoming with a ready smile and laugh. His specialty was expressing mock outrage at something or other, only to burst into laughter, when this was greeted with exasperation, to show that he was only kidding. Aside from academia, his own personal greatest achievement in life was meeting and marrying Bella at London University. We love her dearly for being the wonderful warm lady she is, the rock in Ernie's life; the enduring true love of his life. I hope our memories and recollections of her beloved Ernie are a source of comfort and strength to her and her children - my cousins - Carol, Mark and Helen, at this truly sad time.
Devon Miles
November 11, 2017
Words spoken 10Nov17 at the Memorial:
When I was young, I thought everyone had a Grandad. And when I say Grandad, I don't mean a grandfather, I mean a man like Ernest Burniston. A man who loved his grand children fiercely and you could always count on for a good laugh.
I always knew my grandad was extremely smart. I remember when he was a professor at NC State. We would go visit him and he would let us run circles around Harrelson and then take us for pizza at Two Guys after. Looking back I
Helen Strickland
November 11, 2017
My remarks from Dad
Carol Burniston
November 11, 2017
Words I spoke at Dad's Memorial November 10, 2017.
I am so glad each and every one of you are here with us today. I have spent this past week trying to shift my heavy heart to a heart of gratitude, as I know my Dad would have wanted me to. Gratitude for the gift I received in having such a generous, smart, funny, and kind man as my father.
My Dad was the first in his family to go to college. He completed his undergraduate degree in Mathematics, skipping past a Masters and entering straight into the PhD program. He was awarded his doctorate at the early age of 24, just in time for me to be born. By all accounts he was the curve buster' in his classes. Even so, he remained well liked because he also enjoyed a football game and a lengthy trip to the pub with his peers.
Some years ago I came across an index of academic papers by discipline. I looked up my Dad. The search produced a lengthy list that my Dad had authored. As I studied the dates, I could see publications from when I was in Kindergarten, and 1st grade and 3rd grade and so on.. To me, Dad went to work every day like all the other dads. It was fun thinking about him being math professor working on really complicated, advanced level math during the day and then coming home to be the playful Dad of4 small children on the nights and weekends. He was tremendous at both roles.
My Dad was never a snobby academic. He did not insist people call him Dr. Burniston. He did not insert his clearly superior intelligence into our family life. I realize now that this is the definition of confidence. You don't have to tell people you are the smartest guy in the room, if you are indeed the smartest guy in the room.
Some of you may not know that my Mom and Dad Bella and Ernie met at a Christmas Party, got engaged on Valentine's Day, and were married in July. As the mother of two daughters I would throw a serious wobbly if either one of them wanted to get married after only knowing the guy for 7 months!.
My Dad married the love of his life and stayed married to her for 58 years.
My Dad loved my Mother so much and his love for her was sweetly playful. Some years ago my mother had knee replacement surgery due to worn cartilage resulting in bone rubbing on bone. Around this time I remember asking my Dad what kind of man was he in terms of admiring the female body you know was he a leg man, etc ..you get the picture. Quick as a whip, he said that all of that was ok, but what he really liked was women who only had a very thin layer of cartilage in their knees.
It is a tall task to tell you what a terrific father my Dad was. Several years ago I was going through a particular difficult time. I thought I was masking how unhappy I was, but my Dad knew. When hugging him goodbye one day, he pulled me extra close and held me a little tighter whispering in my ear, Carol - Anything, Anytime, Anywhere, you just call me. I'll come running. That small quote perfectly sums how fantastic of a father he was, not just to me but to all 4 of his children.
My Dad was the definition of a Renaissance Man. He was an accomplished musician, a sailor, a mechanic, and the go to' guy to fix everything.
Listening to and playing music his favorite being the clarinet was how Dad expressed emotion. He turned to music to express both joy and sadness. My brother, Clive Ernest Burniston's, passing in 1980 was my Dad's greatest sadness in life. He played a lot of terribly sad music as he mourned the loss of Clive.
My Dad was a really funny guy, maintaining his prankster wit until the very end of his life. When I was 12, and Mark and Helen were 7 and 5, we were travelling by car and passed a field with a bull and a cow. The bull and the cow were doing what bulls and cows do when they get together which if you have ever seen it is quite a dramatic sight. I was old enough to know, Mark and Helen were not. With all of us eyes agape, Mark asked Dad what they were doing? My Dad with no pause or hesitation said you know that nursery rhyme the cow jumped over the moon? They are practicing!
He continued his pranks with his grandchildren, producing hours of laughter from the 5 little girls he deeply loved. He was so looking forward to meeting Mark's' twin sons due to be born very soon.
I thank you for letting me tell you a little bit about how much my Dad meant to me. My son-in-law Justin summarized it best when he told me Mr. B set such a good example for us all to follow.
Thank you Dad for loving me unconditionally, for your kindness, for your laughter, and for the example you demonstrated for me to follow. I love you.
Mark Burniston
November 11, 2017
Death comes for us all. It can go well or badly. The good news is that his life was amazing. And for me, it's that we've been in a great place as father and son for a long time now.
Zeolites. I had to look it up again to write this down. According to Wikipedia, Zeolites are microporous, aluminosilicate minerals commonly used as commercial adsorbents and catalysts. I don't remember the original conversation or how the concept came up. What I remember was him pulling out the encyclopedia to look up zeolites as the discussion unfolded. As it happened, knowing what they were was necessary for whatever we were actually cogitating over. We used a book, checked a reference, educated ourselves a little further. Proper logical discussion and research was modeled for me that day, and not because that was consciously planned. It was one of those times where something fundamental clicked for me, and I knew automatically from then on that that was the correct approach - that was how discussion is done.
Breaking bad news is done plainly, with respect to the listener's ear. Getting sentimental over trivial things is, just, eh, whatever. If you can't win the argument without resorting to fighting, you deserve to lose. Being erudite and educated might include a sense of the advances that Mozart represents over Bach. If in other sciences we should arrive at certainty without doubt and truth without error, it behooves us to place the foundations of knowledge in mathematics. Obviously, just a sampling, there's no way to satisfactorily characterize a lifetime of successful parenting, replete with mistakes overcome. I think the last time I asked his advice on something was, maybe, a month ago.
There are a lot of ways to leave your mark on the world. Working to add to the overall gestalt of currently available knowledge. Professional and artistic accomplishments. Personal experiences of appreciation and pleasure. Creation, support and protection of family and new lives. You've checked all those boxes. My childhood was safe, happy and full of opportunity to develop my own potential. My father was proud of me. There's a whole set of potential issues there, commonly faced, with which I will never have to contend.
I'm glad you didn't live to endure any further infirmity or indignity. I'm sorry you didn't live to meet your grandsons, who will continue your name. I know you had really zero sympathy with dripping, overly emotional indulgences, and little tolerance for being physically incapable of self care. No need at this point. I won't try to speak for anyone else. What needed to be done, in terms of your obligation to me, has been accomplished many, many times over. I have a surfeit of ability to carry forward that you started working on almost 50 years ago, and I'm confident that you already knew this.
Helen Strickland
November 11, 2017
Dear Mom,
Here are my remarks from the service, which really should have begun, Unaccustomed as I am to public speaking...
When I thought about speaking today, two things came to mind. On the one hand I seriously doubted that I could do an adequate job, and on the other hand I could hear my dad telling me not to get all soppy anyway.
So I will only share with you a few ordinary ways that I will remember him that I think he would enjoy.
Any time I get dressed up just a little bit to go out, much like I am today, I will hear him tell me how nice I look all tarted up.
Whenever my children ask, Where's Mother, I will hear him jump in and say, She's gone off with a sailor.
Any time I'm stuck in traffic I will imagine him in the driver's seat saying, Where the bloody hell are all these people going?.
When I am doing the NYTimes crossword in the mornings (because we both did it every day) I will remember the teasing texts he would send on a day he thought he finished first, telling me not to waste my time because it would be too hard for me.
When my daughters are trying to tell me something serious I will recall that when I did the same with him he would look at me with his eyes crossed and tongue sticking out making it impossible not to laugh.
I will remember that he could and would solve or fix any problem, be it math, cars, electronics, or anything else I needed, and how we teased him about his bias toward practicality over aesthetics.
I will remember him playing the clarinet, teaching us all how to sail, getting on the roof on Christmas Eve pretending to be reindeer, and leading a conga line at my wedding.
I will never forget how he anxiously waited with me for each of my 3 daughters, how dearly he loved them from the moment they met, and how many hours and days he spent letting them do whatever they wanted.
I will always think of my dad laughing, singing, dancing, playing, and unconditionally loving.
He was the smartest man I've ever known, he followed his passions, worked hard and lived his life in a way that afforded us years of fun together in his retirement.
Ernest Burniston had a brilliant mind, a warm heart, and a great sense of humor, and for 48 years he called me his baby and I got to call him Dad.
Ferry Harmer
November 10, 2017
Dear Uncle Ern',
Thank you for all your wisdom and fun throughout the years. I know all of us from the old country will miss you very much. I hope and you, your sisters and your mother are sat giggling in the park, looking down upon us mortals and pointing like the kids you were. Rest in Peace Ernie.
With love and affection,
The English side of the family tree.
Zhilin Li
November 10, 2017
Ernie:
Sad to see you are gone! I wish you rest in peace in heaven. I would like to thank you for your acknowledgement of my contribution to the math department at NCSU. My sincere condolence to Ernie's family!
Zhilin Li
November 9, 2017
Bella, I offer my condolences to your lovely family - Carol, Mark, and Helen. I fondly remember them and also Clive, and know that they will miss Ernie terribly.
Toni Koh
ron robinson
November 8, 2017
Bella and Mark .. Im so sorry to hear about the passing of Ernie... I always treasured that he thought I was a good Math teacher . I'm so sorry I can't make it Friday as I'm getting a hip replaced but know my thoughts and prayers are with you and your family.. I took great pride in knowing Ernie and enjoyed our conversations and laughs. He was a good good man.. Ron Robinson
Jerry and Adela Whitten
November 8, 2017
We offer our sincere condolences to the family. Ernie's legacy at NC State as Head of Mathematics and his positive impact on the lives of many students remains an inspiration to all of us.
November 8, 2017
My sincere condolences to the family. It is a blessing Dr. Burniston lived a long life. He remind me of Psalm 90:10, an especially strong individual.
Emily Murray (Eades)
November 7, 2017
My heartfelt sympathy goes out to all the Burnistons. I have always remembered you fondly as a great family. May your many shared memories comfort you.
Wilma Hammett
November 7, 2017
I have only known Ernie for 10 years when I joined the NCSU Retirees Investment Club, but I admired him from the beginning. His knowledge of math was evident when he talked about how he determined whether a stock was "buy" or not. His dry wit made us all laugh. He was a kind and thoughtful person. I am so glad I got to know him!
Neil Harmer
November 7, 2017
Uncle Ernie was the always Mums brother in America when I was growing up, something she was always extremely proud of, often to refer to "our Ernie" always with a smile on her face. I personally only really met and spoke to Uncle Ernie after his retirement, and on his occasional visits to the UK to visit family and carry out his research into the family tree.
He had a wicked dry sense of humour, especially with his beloved sister. Every Sun he would ring mum after dad passed away, and it was a highlight of her week but she would immediately pass the phone to whoever was in the room much to the amusement of Uncle Ernie. I last saw uncle Ernie in 2009 when my Wife Julie and I took Aunty Bella & Uncle Ernie to visit a steam railway near Manchester, a day I think they really enjoyed. We also moved out of the country to New Zealand and Uncle Ernie was very supportive and helped ease our worries and compared the move he and Aunty Bella made all those years ago. Our thoughts are with all the family and regret never having made the promised trip to NC
Frank Abrams
November 7, 2017
Ernie was a class human being. I first new about him when I was a graduate student, and then later was honored to be a member of the NCSU faculty along with him. As engineering graduate students, we always got to know some fine math professors, and Ernie was right there at the top. Not only was he a well known and appreciated teacher and scholar, he served his department as head--for two periods, led the Faculty Senate as Chair of the Faculty, and was one of the early and important leaders of the Association of Retired Faculty. While we will miss him in person, he leaves a great and lasting legacy that will never be forgotten. The family has my thoughts and and my thanks for having shared him with us. Frank Abrams
Richard Liles
November 7, 2017
I knew Ernie through the N C State University Retirees Investment Club. As the club treasurer he was a tireless worker that kept the club running smoothly. Ernie was friend to all, and he will be missed. Peace and grace to his family and friends during this difficult time.
Tim Kelley
November 7, 2017
Bella, Chung-Wei and I are sorry to hear of Ernie's passing and wish you the best during this stressful time.
-- Tim Kelley and Chung-Wei Ng
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