Russell Burnham

Our precious father, Russell Anderson Burnham passed-away peacefully at home on June 14, 2020 at the age of 85 in Salt Lake City, UT. Born October 29, 1934, in Niagara Falls, New York, to Ivan Anderson Burnham and Rita Matilda John, he was the eldest of their three children. He was raised in Niagara Falls, before moving west to attend Brigham Young University. While there he met his sweet heart, Eleanor Lee Skinner and they married on September 17, 1954. Together they enjoyed raising their active family in Las Vegas and Salt Lake City, taking pleasure in the surrounding beauty of the desert and mountains. Russ and Lee had a loving and loyal relationship for forty-eight years before her passing in 2002.

Russ enjoyed his career as a mechanical engineer, retiring from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, Building Division in April of 2000, after twenty-five years. His work took him to many parts of the world; Russ shared his experiences with his family. An avid golfer and sports fisherman, Russ often brought clubs or a fishing pole wherever he traveled. His many friends and colleagues would accompany him in these activities through his retirement. He was a great fan of BYU basketball and football. Each Spring would find Russ preparing his back-yard garden and each Fall he shared his robust harvest with family, friends and neighbors. He always commented on how much he enjoyed a garden-grown tomato. Throughout his life, he worked diligently on his Six Nations Cayuga/Mohawk Canadian ancestral genealogy, collecting documents and photographs that he passed on to his children and their families.

Russ is survived by his siblings: Doris (Harry, deceased) Benedict of Hogansburg, NY, and Richard (Yvonne) Burnham of Niagara Falls, NY; and their families; Cousin/Sister, Gloria (deceased) (Lucien) Breton and family; his six daughters and their families: Brenda Burnham Kayeri Akweks (Mike McCanna) of Springfield, OR; Laura (Jack) Endicott of Yakutat, AK; Penney (Daryl) James, Yakutat, AK; Rebecca (Jeffrey) Warren, Lompoc, CA; Beth (Paul) Kearsley, Salt Lake City, UT; and Amber (Elisa) Burnham-Noel, Salt Lake City, UT. He has twenty-three grandchildren and thirty-four great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his grandson Tyler Warren in 2016. He enjoyed his many nieces and nephews living in New York.

A special thank you to Kathy Ewell (deceased), her loving family, Edwina Green and his many friends and neighbors for their watchful loving care and thoughtful friendship towards our father.

Our heartfelt gratitude to the health care providers, our sisters Beth and Amber and their families for their affectionate and devoted care on his final journey.