Sr. Alice Elizabeth Burns

Obituary Sister Alice Elizabeth Burns (Mary George) OP (Tacoma) died peacefully at St. Joseph Residence on Saturday, October 16, 2010. A native of Calgary, Alberta, Canada, Sister Alice was born December 22, 1919 to James Burns and Ruth Naomi Deegan. Because her parents were American citizens, Sister Alice's birth was reported to the American Consulate on March 22, 1920 making her an American citizen. Sister Alice and her family moved from Canada to Tacoma when she was 18 years old. She graduated from Lincoln High School in Tacoma in 1939. She entered the Dominican novitiate at Marymount, Tacoma on November 28, 1943 and made her First Profession in 1945. She received her BA degree from Central Washington State College and did post graduate work at Gonzaga University in Spokane. Following her first profession she began a long ministry in teaching middle-school students in Tacoma Dominican schools in Bellingham, Centralia, Seattle, Tacoma, Yakima and Bakersfield. Sisters who taught with Sister Alice remember her as an excellent teacher who had good rapport with her students. One of her gifts was a droll sense of humor which she exhibited with both students and sisters! For many years Sister Alice and Sister Agnes Kennedy lived in Gig Harbor and cared for Silvanus Dunbar (an early benefactor of the Tacoma Dominican Community). Both sisters enjoyed living simply and from the fruits of their garden. While Sister Agnes enjoyed the housekeeping aspect, Sister Alice enjoyed the outside work - chopping wood, weeding the garden, and taking care of the dog. They also enjoyed the visits of the sisters and always had a pot of tea or coffee ready along with home baked goodies. Following Sister Agnes' death, Sister Alice moved to Harborview Manor in Tacoma for a number of years before moving to St. Joseph's Residence in West Seattle. Although Sister Alice was in good health overall, she developed cancer of the leg and eventually had to have her leg amputated. She accepted this disability as she did with everything in her life - accepting God's will cheerfully and with few complaints. The last few years of her life she experienced some dementia and even if she couldn't remember your name, she could carry on a great conversation with you laced with her usual droll humor. Sister Alice's parents predeceased her as well as her sisters Irene Burns Reisinger, Ruth Burns McDonald, Mary Burns Paladino and brother George Burns. She is survived by cousins, nieces and nephews. Services will include: the Vigil on October 20, at 7:00 PM at St. Joseph Residence (4800 37th Ave. SW), the Mass of Christian Burial, October 21, at 11:00 AM at St. Joseph Residence with lunch following. Burial will be at Calvary Cemetery, Tacoma, October 21, at 2:30 PM. Memorial donations may be sent to Dominican Sisters Retirement Fund, 935 Fawcett Ave. S. Tacoma, WA 98402.