Rosalyn M. Burns

Obituary for Rosalyn Murray Burns Rosalyn Louise Murray Burns died Monday, May 10, at Saint Mary Home in West Hartford. A longtime resident of West Hartford, she was born on October 4, 1915 in Hartford, the daughter of Thomas J. Murray and Margaret Kiernan Murray. After her mother's death in the Spanish Influenza epidemic of 1918, her aunt, Rebecca Kiernan, helped to raise Rosalyn and her brother and sister. Rosalyn made her home in East Hartford for many years with her husband, the late Donald J. Burns and their three children. She attended Mount Saint Joseph Academy and graduated from Weaver High School in 1933. Although she was not able to pursue her dream of attending art school then, she returned to art lessons and painting later in life and enjoyed painting and drawing with her grandchildren. She was the secretary to the late Dr. James J. Hennessey and worked in the newly-established Department on Aging. In her retirement, she was a member of the Women's Auxiliary of Saint Francis Hospital, volunteering in the Hospital's Cheer Cupboard where her sense of art and style helped in gift-selection and gift-wrapping. She was a communicant of Saint Thomas the Apostle Church in West Hartford and an active member of the St. Thomas the Apostle Women's Club. Among her activities for the church, she enjoyed sewing baptismal vestments for babies. She leaves her children: Mary Elizabeth "Liz" Burns of Bloomfield, and her sons Peter Murray Burns and wife Sandra of East Longmeadow, Massachusetts and Thomas J. Burns and wife Margo of Suffield, Connecticut. She leaves her beloved grandchildren: Erin Thiery and husband Howard of West Hartford, Keverin Eastman and husband Roan of Victor, Idaho; Brendan Burns of Suffield; Thomas Sean Burns and wife Jessica of Reading, Mass,; Cassandra Chapman and husband Peter of Longmeadow, Mass.; Peter Murray Burns, Jr. and wife Meredith of West Hartford; her great-grandchildren Mairead and Cate Thiery; Ashlin Eastman; Thomas Jameson and Connor Burns and Myles and Leigh Chapman. She leaves several nieces and nephews including Marcia Howard of West Hartford, Ellen Murtha of Newington and Marylee Burns or New York City whose kindness and love was so much appreciated, especially in her last years. Her family wants to thank the staff of Saint Mary Home for their kindness and help, especially nurses Marcus, Pat, Olive, and Kim and, assistants Venus, Charmaine, Theresa and especially Nola. A funeral Mass of Christian Burial will be 10:00 a.m. Friday, May 14 in Saint Thomas the Apostle Church, 872 Farmington Avenue, West Hartford. Burial will follow at St. Ann Cemetery, Avon. Friends may call at the Molloy Funeral Home, 906 Farmington Avenue, West Hartford on Thursday, May 13 from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. Memorial contributions may be made to Little Sisters of the Poor, Saint Joseph's Residence 1365 Enfield St. Enfield, Connecticut 06082.

Rosalyn M. Burns

October 4, 1915 - May 10, 2010