Joseph F. Burns, Sr.

Joseph Francis “Joe” Burns, a beloved and loving father, grandfather, brother, uncle, cousin, and friend, passed away peacefully Monday, April 4, 2022, at age 78.

Born in Philadelphia, Joe was the son of the late Joseph and Anna Higgins Burns. He was predeceased by his wife and soul mate of 44 years, Patty Ann Hill Burns, and his brother, Dennis Burns.

Joe cherished his family, and his family treasured him. He is survived and sorely missed by his children: daughter Karen Kellaher and husband, Colin; daughter Kristen Doyle and husband, Erick; and son Joseph III and wife, Colleen. He adored his eight grandchildren: Anna, Moira, and Jack Kellaher; Piper and Sadie Doyle; and Amelia, Teagan, and Joseph (IV) Burns.

Joe is also survived by his dear sister, Patricia Conley; many nieces and nephews; and his wife’s brothers and sister (Tommy, Paul, Joe, John, and Mary Ellen), whom he loved as siblings.

Joe enjoyed a successful career in accounting after graduating from LaSalle University in 1965. He worked for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry for 38 years, first as a tax agent and ultimately as regional director of the Field Accounting Service.

But this numbers guy was a people person at heart. He volunteered as a leader in YMCA youth programs for his two daughters, served as a coach in recreational soccer and baseball for his son, and donated countless hours to the Saint Agnes School Finance Committee, always making friends and putting others at ease. He enjoyed lifelong friendships, spending every New Year’s Eve for decades with the same close-knit group.

Joe enjoyed a round of golf on a sunny day, a healthy blast of the Rolling Stones, and a good Jack Reacher novel. But cars were his real passion, and he owned many over the years. He loved driving them (a little too fast sometimes), working on them himself, and keeping them pristine, from his very first Ford Fairlane, to his current Caddy (“The nicest car I’ve ever owned”), right down to that lowly blue Topaz with the red vinyl seats.

The family wishes to express their gratitude to Joe’s physicians and nurses and to the team at Karen Ann Quinlan Hospice.

Relatives and friends are invited to his Visitations on Sunday April 10, 2022, from 5:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. and Monday, April 11, 2022, from 9:00 a.m.- 9:45 a.m. at DellaVecchia, Reilly, Smith and Boyd Funeral Home, Inc., 410 N. Church Street, West Chester, PA 19380, 610-696-1181, www.DellaFH.com.; followed by his Funeral Service at 10:00 a.m. 

Interment will follow immediately at Saint Agnes Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation, 230 East Ohio Street, Suite 500 Chicago, IL 60611.