Robert Joseph Burns, of Tewksbury, MA, passed away at Lowell General Hospital surrounded by his family on September 3, 2021, at the age of 86.
Bob was born in Cambridge on December 9, 1934 the son of Charles and Agnes (O’Driscoll) Burns and grew up in Newton Center.
He was devoted husband to the “Apple of His Eye” Mary C. “Kay” (McMullin) Burns.
Bob and Kay began their family in Watertown, MA in 1957 and relocated the family to Tewksbury, MA in 1974.
The loving father of Cheryl Pokornicki (Stephen) of Waltham, Sharon Tontodonato (Paul) of Methuen, David Burns, Naples, FL, Sandra Cross, Derry, NH and Robert J. “Bobby” Burns, of Tewksbury. He was grandfather “Papa” to Leanne McDowell, Tina Cross, Cara Mia Tontodonato, Samantha Cross, Jill Pokornicki, John Cross, Stephen Pokornicki, Devin and Talia Burns. Bob was the doting great grandfather to Joshua, Hannah, Kyleigh, Evelyn, Gavin, River, Ryland, Mia and Rowyn. Brother to the late Sis DeGeorge, Paul, Donald, George “Jeff”, Ed, and Charles “Bubb” Burns. He is also survived by Donna Santos, Judy Downes, Jeannie Glynn, Billy and Trudy Burns.
Bob was employed as a Jaguar specialist at Crandall & Hicks in Wellesley prior to embarking on a long career with the Polaroid Corporation as a master technician. He was considered by many to be a mechanical and computer genius as it seemed that there was nothing that he could not do.
Besides being a great family man, Bob was an avid fisherman, hunter, Celtics, Patriots, Bruins, and Red Sox fan. He loved to take his yearly sojourn to Naples, FL, where he looked forward to sitting on his lanai watching the local wildlife and visiting with his many friends. The thing that Bob was most proud of besides family was that he got to live his life as a free American under the full protection of the Bill of Rights.
A Celebration of Bob’s Life is being planned. Details for the life celebration will be announced at a later date in the Lowell Sun, Boston Globe, and on this website.