Fred Joe Burns passed from this life into eternal life with his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ on November 25, 2017, after a short illness. Fred was born on November 21, 1938, in St. Louis, Missouri, to Frank and Leona (Hickelheim) Burns. He and his brother Frank grew up in the St. Louis Children's Home. Fred went to live with his foster parents Roy and Lucy Harris in Thomas Hill MO when he was 14 years
old. He worked cutting timber, harvesting crops for local farmers, and helping to
run the Thomas Hill Store.
After graduating from Clifton Hill MO High School in 1957, he attended Moberly Community College for one year. He served in the U.S. Air Force as a Radio Intercept Operator at Elmendorf Air Force Base in Anchorage, Alaska. He was employed by French's/Reckitt-Benckiser for 32 years before his retirement.
Fred loved his family and was always eager to talk about what was going on in their lives. He is survived by his wife and best friend, Marsha; his children Ron (Karen), Danny (Amanda), Karen (Vernon), and Travis (Barbara); his grandchildren Jonathan, David, Nicole, Ryan, Matthew and Dexter; his great-grandson Jayden, his step-grandchildren Anita, Dalton, Adam, Anthony & Aiden; Marsha's parents Noel & Betty Davis, and her brother & sister-in-law Terry & Vicki Davis. He was preceded in death by his parents, his brother Frank and half-brother Gary Greer. Fred enjoyed many things: travelling, fishing, golfing, working hard, and playing with his kitties George Burns and Gracie Allen. But the foundation of everything he did was his love of God and his heart for serving others. Fred was a quiet, compassionate, encouraging, humble servant. He had been transformed by his Lord to understand that his purpose in life was to serve God by serving others.
Visitation will be Sunday, December 3, 2017, from 4:00-6:00 at Greenlawn Funeral Home East. The memorial service will be Monday, December 4, 2017, at 10:00 a.m. at the East Sunshine Church of Christ with burial to follow in Hazelwood Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made in Fred's memory to the Global Missions Fund at the East Sunshine Church of Christ or to a charity of your choice.
"I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.”
Matthew 25:40