Robert Lewis Burns, Sr. born May 2, 1932, passed away peacefully in his Canton, GA home on July 8, 2016, surrounded by his loving and caring family. He was the son of William James and Annie Hyatt Burns. He was born in Lake City Florida where he would meet the love of his life, Jane Elizabeth Blasingame who moved to Lake City, Florida from Atlanta. Robert and Jane married on October 26, 1949, and started their family in November 1950, with the birth of their first of five children Robert Lewis Burns, Jr.
He began working at an early age and owned his first business when he was 13 years old. He rented an empty space in a local grocery store and turned it into a meat market. He would work his way through school and then up the corporate ladder with the Hertz Corporation. After leaving the Hertz Corporation he followed his true passion of “business entrepreneurship”. His understanding of people, business and integrity lead him through more than 10 successfully owned and managed businesses. He had various businesses that went from international government affairs, recycling, travel, hospitality, property management, and even a pig farm. He has been retired from his professional life for 27 years but even at the ripe age of 84, he was always mindful of an business opportunity and had a desire to make things better.
He was preceded in death by his parents William and Annie, his three wonderful sisters whom he worshiped, Ruby, Peach and Dilly, his two brothers Jimmy and Matthew and his first son Robert Lewis Burns, Jr. He is survived and adored by his daughters Deborah MGuire, her husband Mike McGuire, Patti Burns and his two sons Michael Burns, Daran Burns and his wife Jennifer Burns, two others he considered his sons Billy Hawkins and David Grisham and his dear friend Welton Hutchins. He was also survived by 11 Grandchildren and 6 Great Grandchildren. He will always be remembered for being such a strong man with an unnatural ability to always do the right thing.