Obituaries

Steven William Burne, Dunmore, entered into eternal life on April 3, 2020, while holding his sister’s hand. The world has lost a good man, who will be greatly missed by all who knew him.
Steve is survived by his loving parents, Jim and Nancy Burne, of Dunmore; brother Jim and wife Myra, Bucks County, PA; nephews William and Owen, Bucks County, PA; sister Bridget, New York, New York; and paternal Grandmother Mary Louise Burne, Hollywood, FL. He is also survived by many aunts, uncles, and cousins across PA, FL, and GA. Steve also leaves behind a legion of loving friends.
Steven was a graduate of Dunmore High School. Throughout his life, he had worked for Penn DOT, and had been employed as an equipment operator with numerous construction companies and in the PA gas fields.
Steven was a natural mechanic and an avid reader. He had a sharp wit, a generous spirit, and a knack for making people laugh. He was extremely protective of those he loved. Uncle Steve was adored by his nephews and his friends’ children. Steven was the first to come to the side of a friend in need. He was there, no matter what.
Steven’s heart was bigger than his personality. With a soft spot for society’s most vulnerable, Steven quietly performed acts of kindness and selflessness. He gave freely of himself for the good of others, never in search of accolades. Steve knew that extending one hand to help someone was more powerful than holding two hands in prayer. He was known to make and share sandwiches with the homeless. He kept extra coats in the trunk of his car in case he saw someone cold and without one. He would offer rides to strangers when the weather was cold, once insisting that a man, his wife and small children take a ride in sub-zero temperatures. When Steven found someone in distress, he never hesitated to help. On holidays, Steven always brought meals to his friends who were alone. A man of great physical strength, Steven once saved 25 people, including his sister, that had become trapped in a hotel stairwell in Chile during an 8.8 earthquake by physically breaking down a locked gate. The light that Steven brought to us in his life will not be dimmed. The love and laughter he created and shared shall only grow as his memory persists.
Steven was preceded in death by his infant sister Ann and his nephew Henry, his maternal grandparents William and Mary Kennedy, and his paternal grandfather James P Burne.
Steve’s family wishes to express their deepest gratitude to Regional Hospital’s ICU staff and specialists who were called to his aid in the last days of his earthly life.
A blessing service with committal at Cathedral Cemetery will be privately celebrated by Rev. Siby John, C.P. of St. Ann Basilica Parish, with a public memorial Mass to follow at a date to be announced.
In lieu of flowers, the family asks that you perform an act of kindness and selflessness in Steve’s memory the next time you have an opportunity.
Arrangements are under the care of the Kevin K. Kearney Funeral Home, Inc., 125 North Main Avenue, Scranton.