Mrs. Henry K. Lucille Gainey Burns

Mrs. Henry Knox Burns was born Lucille Buchanan Gainey, daughter of James Lorraine Gainey and Rose Doughty Gainey in Fayetteville, North Carolina. She died Thursday, March 18, 2010 at her residence in Rock Hill, SC.

Mrs. Burns received her A. B. degree Magna cum laude at Duke University in 1933. She was a member of Kappa Alpha Theta fraternity and was elected to Phi Beta Kappa. She received her M. A. degree from Columbia University in New York.

Mrs. Burns served as an officer in the U. S. Naval Reserves (Waves) in World War II.

Mrs. Burns came to Macon in 1949 as Dean of Students and English instructor at Wesleyan Conservatory and School of Fine Arts. She subsequently served as assistant professor of English at Wesleyan College.

She was the widow of Henry Knox Burns, founder of Burns Brick Company. She was a former member of First Presbyterian Church, a circle Bible teacher for 25 years and a life member of the Women-in-the-Church. She was a founding Trustee of First Presbyterian Day School.

Mrs. Burns was a member of the History Club of Macon and The Macon Writers

Club and a former member of the Morning Music Club. She was also a member of The Sidney Lanier Chapter – U.D.C. and the Mary Hammond Washington Chapter D.A.R.

Mrs. Burns lived in Macon from 1949 until 1990 when she moved to Rock Hill, South Carolina, to become a resident of Westminster Towers, a Presbyterian Retirement Center. In Rock Hill, she was a member of Westminster Presbyterian Church, an active member of the Naomi Circle and a member of the Amelia Pride Book Club.

Mrs. Burns is survived by one sister, Mrs. W. S. Coursey of Anderson, Alabama and a number of grandchildren, great-grandchildren and great-great grandchildren.

The family will receive friends at Snow Memorial Chapel, 746 Cherry St, Macon, GA from 6:00 to 7:30 PM on Monday, March 22. A Graveside service for Mrs. Burns, conducted by her grandson, Dr. Shelton P. Sanford, III, will be at 11:00 AM on Tuesday, March 23, at Riverside Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, it is requested that donations be sent to First Presbyterian Church of Macon, 682 Mulberry Street, Macon, Georgia 31201 or First Presbyterian Church Day School of Macon, 5671 Calvin Drive, Macon, GA 31210 and in Rock Hill, SC, please send memorials to Westminster Presbyterian Church, 1320 India Hook, Road, Rock Hill, SC 29732 or Westminster Towers Endowment Fund, 1330 India Hook Road, Rock Hill, SC 29732.