John Printz Burnham

John P. Burnham, 83, at home and surrounded by family, shuffled off this mortal coil on December 16, 2023. Typical of his stubbornness, he held out to be able to wish his wife of 56 years, Christina (Pemmerl) Burnham one final happy birthday.

Born to George R. Burnham and Kaarin (Maki) Burnham, John began his life of uncommon learning and accomplishment on July 20, 1940 in Portland, Oregon. There, with his beloved parents and sister Kaarin (Burnham) Cargill, John spent near every weekend of his childhood exploring the Columbia River Gorge and the numerous parks along the old highway - picnicking at Wahkeena Falls, tromping through the forest, intrepidly leading adventures up Oneonta Gorge, a lifelong favorite. Innumerable family road trips to Wecoma Beach and San Francisco further fueled the travel and exploration bugs. Those formative years were also the beginning of John’s lifelong passions for trains and for coins and collecting (his first coin, a gift from his mother, a 1912 Liberty Head dime from the Denver Mint).

After graduating, as valedictorian, from Jefferson High in 1958, John attended the University of Oregon where he starred for the University’s College Bowl team before graduating Phi Beta Kappa. John then left his beloved Oregon to attend graduate school at Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut. Connecticut would become his home for the ensuing six decades. After earning his degree (in part paid for by his winnings playing Gin) John joined the faculty at Connecticut College as a professor of economics. At Connecticut College, he met Christina, the love of his life. The couple married in 1967 and would raise four sons together, primarily in their book-filled (oh so very, very book-filled!) and historic home in Old Saybrook.

In addition to teaching at Connecticut College John gave his considerable efforts and talents to many other roles: he served on the Governor’s Council of Economic Advisors of Connecticut; was Curator of the Yale Numismatic Collection for 30+ years; a numismatic consultant to Stack’s/ Coin Galleries in New York; a financial consultant and columnist; director of the Connecticut Central Railroad; President of the Valley Railroad; on the Board of Directors of the Providence and Worcester Railroad; a fellow of the American Numismatic Society and founding member of its Augustus B. Sage Society; chairman of the Waterford, CT Board of Finance; and many more too numerous to list, though he undoubtedly would have liked them to be.

John was a deeply caring and generous man, facts he liked to keep hidden; he was also deeply intelligent and knowledgeable, which he didn’t. Growing up with him as a father, his sons came to expect even simple questions to be answered with complex, oft very long answers. His curious nature always meant there were new and more books being added to the collection, books on near any subject one could imagine (This Was Logging anybody?). Luckily, the many visits to bookstores, be it Powell’s in Portland (on summer trips out west) or the Yale Co-Op, meant a new book for each son to pick out as well. Time was always made in his busy schedule to support his sons - going to innumerable soccer and baseball games; taking them trick-or-treating when they were young and he would dress as, yes, himself the professor (had the mask and everything); taking the phone off the hook to remain undisturbed while teaching them how to play poker; watching the WWF on the tv while Mom was out at a meeting of a night; teaching them chess (one of his great loves); always being supportive and generous of his sons and later his grandchildren; nothing being better than seeing his eyes shine with pride.

John also often took the time to take his sons to work with him, be it to New York and the adventure of subways and Manhattan or to Yale and his own set of offices and libraries therein. On those trips, as well as life in general, John taught his sons how to properly comport themselves - the importance of treating people with respect and civility, from the conductors on the train to the security guards at the office to his co-workers and everybody in between. And how that respect was then returned - nothing being more eye-opening than accompanying him into his favorite restaurant in New York, the Fontana de Trevi, after a day of work, being greeted so warmly and having his drink, a martini, already waiting on the table.

John’s intellectual curiosity was reflected in his hobbies, of which there were a great many. He loved collecting coins; reading (always a pile of books in various progress); collecting medals; playing chess; collecting paper money; playing cards (gin, cribbage, pinochle); collecting railroadiana; ensuring his children had strong cardio by making them sprint through the labyrinthian New York subway system or risk being left behind; collecting political memorabilia; crosswords; collecting books; dining with friends and family; and, it can’t be stressed enough; collecting.

John was as hard-working as he was curious; he was serious and conservative (his idea of leisurewear being a button-down shirt and slacks and always willing to offer his opinion on the length of someone’s hair); and behind all that he was a mischievous soul with incredibly droll wit. He was an economist and historian by training and proclivity, but an artist and poet at heart. In short, John was a complicated man, he contained multitudes.

Mostly, John was a devoted and loving husband, father, brother and uncle, boundlessly proud of his grandchildren and great-grandchildren. He thought deep thoughts, felt deep feelings, and will forever be missed.

As he was so fond of remarking, It was real, every minute of it.

John is survived by his Wife, Christina Burnham (Pemmerl) of Old Saybrook, CT;

Sons, Jeremiah of Old Saybrook, CT, Nathaniel of Pomfret, CT, Benjamin of Las Vegas, NV, Nicholas of Parts Unknown; Sister, Kaarin Cargill (Burnham) of Las Vegas, NV; Daughters-In-Law Tanya Burnham (Cunningham) of Pomfret, CT, January Durant of Las Vegas, NV; Grandchildren Thomas, Zachary, Brittanie, Paiten, and Ryker; Great-Grandchildren Brantley and Luther; Nieces Emilia, Amanda, and Martha.

In lieu of flowers we ask that donations be made to Easter Seals or Shriners Children.

A service in celebration of John’s life will be on January 20, 2024 at 11:00 A.M. at Grace Episcopal Church, Old Saybrook. Calling hours on January 19, 2024 at Swan Funeral Home, Old Saybrook from 5:00 - 8:00 PM

Afterwards, his remains will be brought home to his beloved Oregon.