Roll Call Tribute

Paul Clay Burns
January 10, 1962 - May 26, 2022

Paul Clay Burns, beloved husband, father, son, and brother, went home to be with the Lord on Thursday, May 26, 2022.

He is survived by his loving wife of 32 years, Sara Burns, his two children Corinne Burns Johnson and Troy Burns, his recent son-in-law Dylan Johnson, his best friend and brother Greg Burns, his sister-in-law Belinda Burns, and a slew of aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces, and nephews.

In addition, Paul is also survived by his adoring parents Robert Burke Burns and Sue Burns. They and all family members are devastated by this untimely and sudden loss.

An Aggie for life, Paul graduated from Texas A&M, class of ‘87, with a mechanical engineering degree, a well-chosen field for a natural tinkerer. He was handy with just about everything, and could fix whatever was broken whether it was your car or your computer. Those who were lucky to have known Paul knew his faith, his sharp intelligence, his uncanny ability to solve problems, and his unflappable, even-keeled temperament. Many appreciated him for his perspective; he was always able to step back and see the bigger picture.

Paul was born in Nashville, Tennessee on January 10, 1962, but soon moved to and spent his childhood in DeSoto, Texas. Although he did two stints in New Jersey, one as a teenager and one as a young man where he was lucky enough to meet his Jersey Girl wife, he always considered himself a Texan, and when he was offered a job in 2008 with a company that is now Abbott Laboratories, he moved his family “home” to Celina, TX where he spent his last 14 years.

Paul was a man of many interests. A devout Christian, he loved God and deep studies of the scripture, particularly through Bible Study Fellowship (BSF) where he held a volunteer administrative position. His spiritual gift of service also led him to serve as a deacon at the First Baptist Church of Celina. An avid reader, his diverse tastes included serious historical accounts, but he was also always up to date with the latest Jack Reacher thrillers. While he was not a typical golf nut, playing golf had recently become an excuse for spending time with his high school buddies Mike and Javier. The geek in him loved making spreadsheets for everything he could think of, and his best date nights with Sara included black and white horror movies and British murder mysteries. But his true love was motorcycles. His last ride was a five-day solo trip from California to Texas on his new Honda ST 1100 dream bike on a cross-country route designed with the best riding roads in mind. Friends and family confirm that on his calls from the trip, he sounded his happiest. He died doing what he loved, shouldn’t we all be so lucky.

The funeral can be watched live through the First Celina Baptist Church website or the app.
www.firstcelina.org

Contributions can be made to Bible Study Fellowship (BSF) or First Celina Baptist Church-Mexico Benevolence, in lieu of flowers. First Celina Baptist Church- Mexico Benevolence: 841 N. Preston Rd. Celina, TX 75009 www.firstcelina.org.