Published: July 06, 2009 10:03 am      

Ronald L. Burns

Ronald L. Burns, 67, of McAlester, died Friday, July 3, 2009, at VA Medical Center of Muskogee.

The family will receive visitors from 6 to 8 p.m. this evening at Bishop Funeral Home.

Funeral services will be at 10 a.m. Tuesday at Bishop Chapel of Memories with the Revs. Jim Harris and Dale Boggs officiating. Full military honors will be provided by the Disabled American Veterans No. 20 of Krebs. Burial will be at Roselawn Cemetery, Salina, Kan., under the direction of Bishop Funeral Service.

Born Dec. 12, 1941, in Holton, Kan., to Loren V. and Ellen I. Brown Burns, he attended various grade schools as his father was military and he graduated from Brookville High School in Brookville, Kan. He entered the United States Army in December of 1962 and was discharged in December of 1968. He entered for a second time in June of 1982 and was discharged in December of 2001.

He served two years with the 44th Medical – Evac and all other military assignments were with special operations including 101st Airborne with the 326th Medical Battalion, 12th SFGA, 2nd Battalion Medical NCOIA, 486th Civil Affairs Operative and Medical NCOIC. He served during every conflict or war from 1962 to 1968 and 1982 to 2001. He was deployed to Bosnia and Central America. He was a lifetime member of the Disabled American Veterans, The Veterans of Foreign Wars and the American Legion.

He married Pat Delozier on May 20, 1977. in Salina, Kan. They moved to the McAlester area in 1981 from near Tyler, Texas. He was employed at the Oklahoma State Prison for a period of 21 years where he worked as a medical specialist. His hobbies were hunting, fishing, raising horses and even rodeoing in his earlier years.

Survivors include his wife, Patricia A. Burns, of the home; a son, Shawn L. Burns, of Tahlequah; his mother, Ellen Burns, of Salina, Kan.; a brother and sister-in-law, Richard O. and Marlene Burns, of Salina, Kan.

Also five sisters and brothers-in-law, Pamela J. Burns, of Salina, Kan., Janice S. and Gene Denten, of Salina, Kan., Connie and Kelly Rudolph, of Salina, Kan., Sheryl Moore, of Kodak, Tenn., Doneal and Bill Nichols, of Salina, Kan.

And five grandchildren, Ryan Burns, Shawna Burns, Shian Burns, Presley Wilson, Alaska Wilson, and numerous nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his father, Loren V. Burns, and a daughter, Stephanie D. Burns.

Honorary pallbearers include Jim Prater, Mike Nolen, Jody Pruitt, Chris Parker, Benny Farrar and Buddy Dismuke.