Thomas A. Burns, age 83, a resident of Fort Scott, Kan., passed away Friday, September 8, 2017, at the Country Place Senior Living Facility in Fort Scott.
He was born January 23, 1934, in Burrton, Kan., the son of Howard Burns and Mary Westfahl Burns. Tom graduated from High School in Nixa, Mo. He married Fama Jean Horst on August 16, 1953. She preceded him in death on March 31, 2008. He later married Jeannine Scrivner on February 20, 2010. Tom had worked as both a correctional officer and counselor for Leavenworth Federal Prison for more than 20 years. During this time, he served as Union President of American Federation of Government Employees Leavenworth Chapter. He was a member of the St. John’s United Methodist Church and a former member of the Easton, Kan., Masonic Lodge. Tom enjoyed fishing, hunting and woodworking as well as metal detecting.
In addition to his first wife, Fama Jean, Tom was preceded in death by a son, James Howard Burns. Survivors include his wife, Jeannine, of the home in Fort Scott; James’s children, Jason Burns and his son, Truman Burns and James’s daughter, Sarah Burns and her son, Atticus Burns. Also surviving is a daughter, Mary Corpstein and husband James, of Fort Scott, and their three sons, Craig Corpstein and wife, Ruth, Charles Corpstein and Corey Corpstein and wife, Nikki Daly; a son, Thomas Ray Burns and his wife, Cathy, of Pittsburg, and his son, Aaron Burns and wife, Hannah and a daughter, Sandra Dee Gurss and husband, Gary, of Leavenworth, Kan., and her children, Kyle Gurss and Claudia Gurss. Also surviving are four step-sons, Gregory Scrivner and wife, Kristie, of Winchester, Kan., Neil Scrivner also of Winchester, Paul Scrivner and wife, Lauri, of Kansas City, Missouri and Wayne Scrivner and wife, Mona, of Hot Springs, Mont.; thirteen step-grandchildren and nine step-great-grandchildren. Tom was also preceded in death by four sisters, Irene Blankenship, Margaret Dyer, Evelyn Hennessey and Wilma McCutchen and four brothers, Wayne Sylvester, Robert and Eugene Burns.
Pastor Tom Mullins will conduct funeral services at 11 a.m. Monday, September 11, at the Cheney Witt Chapel. Burial will follow in the Centerville Cemetery. The family will receive friends on Monday from 10 a.m. until service time at the Cheney Witt Chapel. Memorials are suggested to St. John’s United Methodist Church or Lee’s Paws & Claws and may be left in care of the Cheney Witt Chapel, 201 S. Main, P.O. Box 347, Ft. Scott, KS 66701. Words of remembrance may be submitted to the online guestbook at cheneywitt.com.