John Burns, 1944-2008

[Rosiebotboss]

John Burns, Co-Founder of Rosie Robotics, Team 839 passed this morning from complications after a long, long, long, long bout of cancer. John was an educator, father, mentor and friend to many many people in Massachusetts and across the country. His impact is far reaching, far beyond just FIRST.

Many of you here on CD may not know John, he did not post anything here, but he knew you. He read CD on a regular basis. FIRST was one of his passions. His family, his students and FIRST. He said to me many times that this program has the chance of reaching so many students. He will live on in Rosie and Rosie will be his legacy.

John did things his way and they were usually right.

You may rest now John, Rosie is in good hands.

http://www.chiefdelphi.com/forums/showthread.php?t=57842&highlight=john+burns

[Vikesrock]

Condolences from myself and my team to both John's family and your team.

May he rest in peace.

[Danny McC]

I am very sorry to hear about this. My teams and my prayers will go out to his Family and your team as well. Pretty bad time for this to happen. If you guys need anything in Atlanta let me know and I will help in anyway possible. Really sorry to hear about this guys.

[Jessica Boucher]

John was a good-hearted man who cared deeply for his team, Agawam schools, and FIRST as a whole. It was always a delight to see him, and he will be missed.

Condolences from Team 40 and the crew up at intelitek.

[Meredith Novak]

I have added Mr. Burns' picture to the information for Rosie Robotics in our Future Hall of Fame display. If your team would like any more information about him, please send to me at rcawinners@baxterbombsquad.com or bring it by our booth. I am so sorry for your loss.

[Akash Rastogi]

Same here, please let anyone know if you need anything at all in Atlanta.

[KathieK]

John was one of my favorite people in FIRST. Whenever we were at an event together or at one of Rosie's pasta dinners, John would come up and say, "Kathie, come here. Let me introduce you to someone..." John knew EVERYONE! :) And then he would show me the latest article that had appeared in the local paper about Rosie. John had an Irishman's temper... and an Irishman's twinkle in his eye. He loved to tell stories. He not only was there for his team, but for everyone in FIRST. A week before my FTC event I called him up. "John, I need flags again this year. I forgot about them! " It didn't matter that he was trying to get his FTC team up to speed for the scrimmage the following day, or that it was a few days before FRC robots shipped, all he said was, "How many do you need?" Last year, at John's "retirement" party, I learned that he was a dumpster diver. He gave me a paper he had written on dumpster diving which I used in several NEMO workshops this past fall. I got great ideas for scavenging materials from John! Although he stepped down as team leader of Rosie, he decided to form an FTC team at the middle school and his grandson, Seamus, is a member this year. And because he couldn't give up helping the kids in Agawam, he ran for school board this fall - and won. I staffed a FIRST booth at the recent Natl Science Teachers Assoc convention in Boston and John brought his FTC middle school team to demo. After they finished, John let them loose in the Exhibit Hall and they came back with all sorts of fun stuff including hermit crabs, caterpillars, posters, diodes... and he just shook his head and smiled. He knew those kids would remember going to the NSTA convention for a long time.
And it was really, really very special for me to be in Boston when Rosie won their Chairman's Award. I know they made him very proud. Thank you, John. We'll miss you a lot. Every time I see a big straw I will think of you! :p

[Mike Martus]

Condolences from Team 47 and the Community of FIRST.

[Scott Carpman]

My condolences on behalf of myself and 1155.

[JohnBoucher]

John was truly a gentleman.

Our thoughts are with his family and teams.

[Protronie]

Truly sad news... my heart and prayers go out to John and his family, team, & friends.

-p

[Amanda Morrison]

Dana,

I'm shocked, just shocked to hear this. Best wishes to you, the rest of the team, and John's family during this time.

[Molten]

John was one of my favorite people in FIRST. Whenever we were at an event together or at one of Rosie's pasta dinners, John would come up and say, "Kathie, come here. Let me introduce you to someone..." John knew EVERYONE! :) And then he would show me the latest article that had appeared in the local paper about Rosie. John had an Irishman's temper... and an Irishman's twinkle in his eye. He loved to tell stories. He not only was there for his team, but for everyone in FIRST. A week before my FTC event I called him up. "John, I need flags again this year. I forgot about them! " It didn't matter that he was trying to get his FTC team up to speed for the scrimmage the following day, or that it was a few days before FRC robots shipped, all he said was, "How many do you need?" Last year, at John's "retirement" party, I learned that he was a dumpster diver. He gave me a paper he had written on dumpster diving which I used in several NEMO workshops this past fall. I got great ideas for scavenging materials from John! Although he stepped down as team leader of Rosie, he decided to form an FTC team at the middle school and his grandson, Seamus, is a member this year. And because he couldn't give up helping the kids in Agawam, he ran for school board this fall - and won. I staffed a FIRST booth at the recent Natl Science Teachers Assoc convention in Boston and John brought his FTC middle school team to demo. After they finished, John let them loose in the Exhibit Hall and they came back with all sorts of fun stuff including hermit crabs, caterpillars, posters, diodes... and he just shook his head and smiled. He knew those kids would remember going to the NSTA convention for a long time.
And it was really, really very special for me to be in Boston when Rosie won their Chairman's Award. I know they made him very proud. Thank you, John. We'll miss you a lot. Every time I see a big straw I will think of you! :p

Sounds like a great guy, who did a lot for the community. I wish I had met him. I couldn't imagine this happening to any of the mentors of 1766. It would be like losing a family member.

[Bob Steele]

Our thoughts and prayers are with your robotics family and John's family in this.
We look forward to playing with you on Galileo and we wish you the best of luck there. Your loss is FIRST's loss.

Robert Steele
Skunkworks Robotics

[Dancin103]

Condolences from my self and team 103. We are very sorry for your loss. From the way it sounds John was a great man that was very loved. My he rest in peace, and may the memory of him never die.

[rosiegirl]

Mr. John Burns was one of the best men I have ever met. In the Short three years that I knew him, he toght me many things i never would have ever thought I would learn. He also supported anything any of the Rosie students wanted to try; no matter how crazy it might sound.

He will be missed greatly on team 839. May you rest in peace Mr. Burns.

[Barry Bonzack]

I HATE Cancer! I'll think of John with others at my next Relay for Life event. My prayers go to his friends and family.

[GaryVoshol]

Condolences and prayers on behalf of Team 1025.

I didn't know John, and from reading here it sounds like that was my loss. He surely will be missed, both on your team and in the larger FIRST community.

[psyco_klown]

On behalf of John's family and Rosie, we thank you all for your kind words. We keep him in our hearts and continue what he believed in.

[Vince]

My condolences to John's family and to the all of Rosie.

John was so very proud of all of his students and remains a role model for us all.

With thoughts and prayers - Vince

[Justin]

Didn't know John personally but certainly know Rosie as one of the quintessential New England teams.

Thoughts go out to John's friends, family, and extended family of Rosie Robotics.

-Justin

[SGK]

Condolenses from all the FIRST friends, students and colleagues on BUZZ Robotics. John will be truly missed.

[Al Skierkiewicz]

Dana and Kathie,
Your words for John are very kind, most people can only hope to be so missed. May I pass our condolences from Team 111 to all the friends, family and team mates of John. If you need anything, just ask.

[Mr MOE]

I did not know John, but on behalf of MOE 365, we mourn the loss of a great FIRST mentor.

John's FIRST and non-FIRST families are in our prayers.

[Michael Sperber]

Of all the people I know in FIRST, John was most definitely a person who "got it." He was very proud of his students. Not only was he proud of what they had accomplished, he was proud of what they were going to accomplish.

Every time I saw him he shared this pride of his students. At the events, my conversations with him were usually very brief, as he wanted his students to speak more than himself.

I have learned a lot from John. And I am sure I will continue to learn from him.

-mike

[Andy Brockway]

My condolences go out to John's family and Team 839.

I first met John at RiverRage in 2002 and we have been friends since. One of my fondest memories was at Bash in 2004 when they had the team buddy swap and one of my students joined your team for a day. John always had something new that the team was doing to share with me. I am glad I took the time to join him at his retirement party and see how well he was loved.

I will miss you John.

[MWTrek]

The article in this morning's republican newspaper.

http://www.masslive.com/republican/stories/index.ssf?/base/news-11/1208254268211960.xml&coll=1

Good luck Rosie, and congratulations on your chairman's award. You certainly made him proud. He would come into my mom's classroom, over at Robinson Park school, almost weekly to boast about the new things that the team was up to.

[Jon236]

Thank you all for sharing your memories of John with all of us. To celebrate his memories as a role model and inspiration to others ensures that his spirit will live on.

Condolences and payers to his family and friends from the TechnoTicks.

[kborer22]

We are all truly sorry for you loss, and you know you're all in our thoughts and prayers. As you guys know anything that you need 125 is here for you, just say the word.

[Libby K]

I never met John but I have heard great things about him. My thoughts and condolences go out to his family, friends, and Rosie Robotics.

[Ken Stafford]

Team 190 and 839 have been great friends since that first long bus ride to the Virginia Regional in 2002. I so remember the wide-eyed sense of wonderment and pride that John had in this rookie Rosie team. What a gentleman! We miss him already...

Gompei and the HERD
WPI/Mass Academy

[JaneYoung]

It's taken me a little while to process this. I met Mr. Burns at the Kick Off in Manchester this year. I was at the NEMO table with KathieK and Jack Kentfield when this cheery smiling man approached and they all started talking to each other and teasing each other. Somewhere in there, John and I were introduced and he set off on a glorious tale of FIRST, FIRSTers, students, and the regionals he dearly loved - and - the region he loved. His neck of the woods. He was so proud of it. For about 15 minutes, he was convinced that he had succeeded in convincing me to come out and go ski-ing next year, even though I had told him I've never even tried to ski. He wasn't worried about it, saying - 'come out, we'll take care of everything.' He shook my hand as he left and told me that he would be expecting me. A force of nature, that one.

Peace to all of you.
Jane

[Gene Williams]

With a tear in my eye and a lump in my throat...condolences from Team 70.

[EStokely]

I did not know John, but I am a part of FIRST and losses like this are hard on all of us. I am truly saddened by this.
With condolences from Team 360 may his memory and inspiration continue.