Obituary of James Burns

James "Jim" Lawrence Burns was born October 29, 1937 in Dallas, TX to Homer Lawrence & Melba (Rolfe) Burns and passed from this life on December 23, 2011 at the age of 74. Jim was a man of many words and many talents. His quirky sense of humor combined with a lifetime of extraordinary experiences and common sense made itself known in almost every conversation. Although very definitely human, he was almost perfectly patient and the best of teachers. Jim was a Free Mason of the 32nd Degree, Past Master of RedFork-Brookside Lodge in Tulsa and has contributed richly to the lives of many Masons. Jim joined the Oklahoma Banking Department in 1977 as a Bank Examiner and retired from the state in 1995. During his career with the state, he was an Instructor and Data Processing Coordinator for field activities and in the 10 years prior to his work in the regulatory field, Jim was an Auditor and Operations officer for the former Fidelity National Bank in Oklahoma City. Although his career in banking is impressive as it stands, he was probably more well known for his time and work in music. At the time of his death, Jim had been playing Piano commercially for 58 years. He has played for and worked with some of the best talent around. Music, fraternal interests and Jim's 12 step outreach made him invaluable to his friends and the community in general. He was greatly loved and will be terribly missed. Jim was preceded in death by his parents and is survived by a host of friends. Jim will lie in state 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Tuesday at the Ninde Brookside Funeral Home. Graveside committal will be held 3:00 p.m. Wednesday at the Memorial Park Cemetery, Enid, OK. A memorial service will be held 11:00 a.m. Saturday at All Souls Unitarian Church, Tulsa, OK. Ninde Brookside ~ 918.742.5556 ~ www.ninde.com