DOUGLAS BURNS
1931 - 2022
Douglas R. Burns (Doug) passed away in San Diego, California, on April 20, 2022. He was 90.
Born in 1931, Doug was the youngest of the six children of Arthur and Ruth (Pugh) Burns in Sutter Creek, California. He lived in Santa Paula and Berkeley before moving with his family to Riverside in 1941.
He graduated from Poly High School in 1949 and from UC Berkeley in 1953, with a B.S. in chemistry.
Burns worked in chemical research for Hunter Douglas in Riverside for 11 years, where his last position was manager of chemical development. He then worked in the coatings industry at the Whittaker Corporation in Colton and later at Whittaker’s Corporate Headquarters in Los Angeles. At Whittaker (now DOW), he managed several coatings, plastics, and chemical divisions throughout the United States and, at the end of his career, managed International Business Development. He retired in 1993.
Doug was an Emeritus Member of the American Chemical Society. He also belonged to several family history societies, including the Genealogy Society of Riverside.
A 40-year member of Riverside’s Calvary Presbyterian Church, he served as an usher and on the Board of Trustees and several sub-committees. He was also a 40-year member of Victoria Country Club.
Doug played golf for many years. And he traveled extensively with his wife Colleen in the U.S. and around the world – much of the travel in search of family history records.
Doug had a quiet intelligence and a wry sense of humor. (More than once he left an uncooked turkey on the doorstep of a friend when CAL beat the rival’s team.)
Doug was an avid sports fan and, for many years, had season tickets to Dodger, Ram, and Angels games. He and his daughter Laura, also a sports fan, often went to the Coliseum to see the Rams play. And this year it was special for them to watch together as the Rams won the Super Bowl.
Doug wrote and published three books about the family’s genealogy and history – including both the Burns’ and Pugh’s histories from the 1850s in Spokane, Washington, Eugene Oregon, and Red Bluff, California.
Besides his parents, Doug was preceded in death by his wife of 65 years, Colleen (Olander) Burns; brothers Arthur, John, and Richard Burns; sisters Marion Pattinson and Gladys McNally; and grandson Max Blalock, III.
Doug is survived by a son Douglas W. Burns (CJ), Taipei, Taiwan; daughters Debbie (Max) Blalock, Birmingham, Alabama, and Laura (Jeff) Goodrich, San Diego; grandchildren Christy (Bruce) Cox, Atlanta, Georgia; Chris (Janelle) Goodrich, Irvine, California; Leslie (Tyler) Michels, St. Louis, Missouri; Michael and Steven Burns, Taipei; and great-grandchildren William and Julia Blalock, Landon Goodrich, and Cameron and Rory Michels.
Doug will be interred beside his loving wife Colleen at Olive Cemetery on Monday, May 16, 2022, at 1:00 P.M. A reception will follow.
In lieu of flowers, memorials can be made to the American Heart Association.