Fred E. "Buddy" Burns

Born November 25, 1932 in Brownsville, TX to Josephine and Theodore Burns, he developed an early love of the outdoors and sports while also excelling in academics. He attended St. Joseph’s primary school and Brownsville High School, where he graduated at the age of 16 – too young to take advantage of his West Point appointment but just in time to attend Texas A&M, where he became a lifelong, diehard Aggie. Upon graduating with the Class of 1953 with a degree in Building Products and Marketing, he was commissioned into the United States Air Force, where he served through 1955 as a supply officer stationed in Guam.

After his discharge from the Air Force, he returned to Texas, where he married Annette Landry in Austin on October 15, 1955. It was a union that would last over 65 years and produce 6 children, 6 grandchildren and, to date, 7 great-grandchildren.

After marrying, Buddy and Annette moved to Temple, TX, where he worked as a salesman for William Cameron Lumber before moving to San Antonio, where he worked for National Gypsum and then Zachry Properties before going out on his own with The Burns Company, a homebuilding contractor which built hundreds of homes in San Antonio over the years. Burns was an early adopter of energy efficient homebuilding practices in the early 1970s, saving his customers lots of money on bills with his PowerSaver homes and teaching at seminars on energy efficiency for the Department of Housing and Urban Development.

While the Burns Company was more than a full-time job, Buddy always found time for family and friends as well as community service. He was a member of the National Homebuilders’ Association and the Aggie Club, and he spent countless hours with the Boy Scouts of America, serrving as scout master and assistant scout master for Troop 307 from Holy Spirit Catholic Church and Troop 285 from Coker Methodist Church. Scouting remained a huge source of satisfaction even after his own sons moved beyond scouting age. Many now-grown men will remember his excellent fire-cooked meals made in the field with Dutch ovens and reflector ovens.

From his early upbringing and school at St. Joseph’s in Brownsville, Burns carried a devout Catholic faith with him every step of the way, attending Holy Spirit and Blessed Sacrament Catholic churches and later attending mass at the Oblate Chapel as a member of Oblate Associates.

He will be remembered by family and friends as an outstanding husband and father and as an honest, fair, faithful, funny storyteller who was never too busy to share his time and creative talents with those he loved.

Burns was preceded in death by his parents, Josephine and Theodore Burns, and by his older brother, Theodore Burns, Jr.

He is survived by his brother Bill Burns (Joy) of Harlingen; brother- in-law Duane (Jane) Landry of Dallas; his children Chris Burns, Casey Burns (Lynda), Teresa Clark (Jeff), Sarah Bonugli (Jeff), Bryan Burns (Patricia), and David Burns; his grandchildren Marco Bonugli (Erin), Kevin Clark (Christina), Monica Magee (Luke), Jamie Richardson (Nathan), Theodore Burns and Robbie Burns; and seven great-grandchildren.

ROSARY

TUESDAY, AUGUST 3, 2021

9:30 A.M.

IMMACULATE CONCEPTION CHAPEL

OBLATE SCHOOL OF THEOLOGY

285 OBLATE DRIVE

SAN ANTONIO, TX 78216

MASS

TUESDAY, AUGUST 3, 2021

10:00 A.M.

IMMACULATE CONCEPTION CHAPEL

OBLATE SCHOOL OF THEOLOGY

285 OBLATE DRIVE

SAN ANTONIO, TX 78216

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to the Oblate Madonna House, 5722 Blanco Rd, San Antonio, TX 78216.