Terry Burns

1946 - 2024

Terry Burns
03/26/1946 - 09/29/2024
Terence P. (Terry) Burns passed away in Reno on September 29, 2024, at the age of 78. He is survived by his loving wife Yuanming (Mindy) Burns, by his brothers Kevin, Brian, and Sean Burns, by his stepdaughter Linda, his stepdaughters Shiyuan and Shixian, and by numerous nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents, Kay and Pete Burns, his sister Kathy Tasto, and his daughter Sara. He was a generous, kind, talented man. He grew up in South San Francisco, where he played high school varsity baseball and became a foreign exchange student, visiting Sweden in the summer after he completed the 11th grade.
Terry's first and lifelong love was music. He took up the trumpet in grammar school and continued playing for most of his life. He was the lead trumpeter in his award-winning high school band, which performed at the Reno Jazz Festival in the 1960s. He so impressed the judges that he received a full music scholarship to the University of Nevada. And, when he arrived in Reno, his talent was noticed very quickly. He began playing for headliners in the major casino showrooms in Reno and Lake Tahoe, beginning when he was only 19 years of age. After graduating from UNR, and after two years of honorable service in the US Army, Terry continued making his living as a musician in Reno for many years; but eventually live orchestras backing headline acts disappeared from the scene. So he shifted gears, ultimately wrapping up his working life at the United States Postal Service.
As a founding member of the renowned Reno Jazz Orchestra, Terry continued to make music well into his retirement years. He also taught private music lessons in his home, passing on his passion and his knowledge to young musicians.
He was an avid golfer and a lifelong 49er fan. He attended hundreds of games over the years, from Kezar Stadium to Candlestick Park to Levi's Stadium. It seemed that he collected a new hat or new t-shirt every time he went to a game; and as a result, shelves and drawers in his Reno home are still lined with dozens of those items.
Terry's wife Mindy was truly the love of his life. He often said "I won the lottery when it came to love." Mindy has always cared for him and nurtured him. One of her special gifts was in making certain that he enjoyed healthy and nutritious meals. Their backyard garden was an amazing treasure trove of fresh fruits and vegetables.
Please join us to celebrate Terry's life at a Mass on Saturday, October 19, at 1:00 pm, at Our Lady of Angels church, 1721 Hillside Drive, Burlingame, California. A reception will follow in the church's rectory garden.