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John Joseph Burns

Member_136635John Joseph Burns, 60, of Chicora, went to be with the Lord Friday morning, July 18, 2014, at his home on East Danville Rd.

John was born in Butler on December 20, 1953. He was the son of the Late Charles W. and Dorothy Lehner Burns. He was a lifetime member of Mater Dolorosa Roman Catholic Church in Chicora, where he was a lector, a member of the Holy Name Society, and had served on the Church’s Parish Council. He was a 1971 graduate of Karns City Area High School and earned a bachelor’s degree in Pharmacy in 1976 from the Mylan School of Pharmacy at Duquesne University. John began his career in pharmacy at the Rea and Derick Pharmacy in Clarion and later worked as a pharmacist at Clarion Hospital. For the past 34 years he had been employed as a pharmacist at Butler Memorial Hospital. Mr. Burns enjoyed hunting, fishing, traveling, playing cards, taking walks on his farm and most especially enjoyed the company of his family.

John is survived by his wife, Elaine J. Ritzert Burns, whom he married at St. Joseph Church in North Oakland on May 7, 1988. Also surviving is a son, Jonathan David Burns of Philipsburg and his fiancé, Maryellen Morningstar; a daughter, Alaina Nicole Burns, a student earning her doctorate at the University of Pittsburgh School of Pharmacy; a brother, Patrick C. Burns and his wife, Sandy, of Evans City; a sister, Dr. Charlene L. Burns of Durham N.C., as well as a number of aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, great nieces and nephews, brothers-in-law, sisters-in-law, and cousins.

In addition to his parents he was preceded in death by a sister, Sister Margaret Burns, S.C., who went to be with the Lord on March 3, 1993.

Friends will be received at the Hile Funeral Home of Chicora, 339 Chicora Fenelton Rd., Chicora, from 6 – 9 p.m. Sunday and 2 — 4 and 7 – 9 p.m. Monday. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 1:00 p.m. Tuesday at Mater Dolorosa Roman Catholic Church, 409 N. Main St., Chicora, with the Rev. Steven V. Neff, pastor of St. Catherine of Sweden Roman Catholic Church in Allison Park, and Rev. James R. Orr, Church Administrator at Mater Dolorosa, concelebrating. Interment will follow in Hemphill Cemetery, Chicora. Memorial contributions in Mr. Burns’ memory may be made to the American Cancer Society by visiting www.cancer.org, or to Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill, 144 DePaul Center Road, Greensburg, PA 15601. For more information or to send a condolence please visit www.hilefh.com.

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