Wayne Burns

It is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of Wayne Lawrence Burns of Miramichi, NB, husband of Darla (Shea) Burns, which took place on Wednesday, October 23rd, 2024, at the Miramichi Regional Hospital surrounded by family.

Born on October 27th, 1958, in Newcastle, NB, he was the son of the late Lawrence and Shirley (Hubbard) Burns. Wayne adored both of his parents, and we are at peace knowing that he is with them once again.

Wayne will be greatly missed by his daughter, Erin Burns (Christopher Foran), sister, Lois Oldfield (Kenny), brother, Paul Burns (Paula), mother-in-law, Sandra Shea, sister-in-law, Natalie Mills (Garth) and brother-in-law, Kirk Shea (Tracy). He had a special bond with his nieces and nephews, Cathy Wallace, Larry Burns (Crystal), Michael Burns (Jenna), and Cole Shea. He will miss spoiling his grand-nieces, Flynn and Kennedy, and grand-nephews, Jonathan, Walker, and Parker. He is predeceased by his father-in-law, Eugene Shea, nephew, Paul Wallace, and many special aunts and uncles.

At age 14, Wayne began working in the electrical field and always said that he would retire when he stopped enjoying his work. This day never came. He enjoyed many years working locally as a Maintenance Electrician and after the mill’s closure, he expanded his career across Canada where he thrived in many leadership roles. His level of experience and ability to troubleshoot, think outside of the box, and find creative solutions to complex problems got him in the door at many companies, but what made him stand out as a team leader were his undeniable people skills. He always had time for every member of his team, no matter their status, a trait he credited his father with teaching him. He was fortunate to transform many of his professional connections into strong, personal bonds over the years and many colleagues have become like family.

Outside of work, one of Wayne’s passions was hockey, whether it be playing in his younger years, with many locals still recounting stories of the great battles they witnessed him fight on the ice. He enjoyed watching hockey games, especially his “squad” the Chicago Blackhawks, which he was a fan of since the age of three. Perhaps his greatest enjoyment in sports was as a Coach in both minor hockey and baseball. He enjoyed encouraging young people and helping them learn life’s lessons while providing them with a unique nickname along the way. Coaching was one of his favourite leadership roles that he has ever occupied, and he still kept in contact with his players many years later.

In recent years, Wayne enjoyed ...

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