Obituary of Richard Burns

Richard S. Burns passed away Monday evening July 9th of cancer. Richard was born 11 September 1926 in San Francisco to Stephen I Burns and Edith C (Majors) Burns. Richard was a strong high energy man that enjoyed hard work. In his early years he worked at Wrigley's Chewing Gum factory in Santa Cruz. While working at Wrigley's he watched some men drill a water well on his Grandfather's property and thought he could do the same. Being mechanically talented he built a drilling rig from scratch and started up a business which developed into D B Drilling where he dug water wells throughout the Santa Cruz mountains. He married Mildred Burke (Kinser) in 1956 and they worked together to buy several pieces of property and start a small apple farm up the Old San Jose Road. As deer gobbled up the apple trees they were replaced with fig trees which the deer didn't seem to like as much. Richard and Mildred did some extensive traveling until she passed away in 2003. Richard continued drilling wells until about a year ago when he developed a cancerous brain tumor. Richard loved his ranch, tending the fig orchard, raising a few chickens and peacocks and growing vegetables and flowers. Richard is survived by a long time friend and companion Angelina "Angie" Beltrami, a cousin Shawn Durden and several nieces and nephews from Mildred's side of the family. Services will be held on Monday July16th at One PM at Benito and Azzaro Pacific Gardens Chapel, 1050 Cayuga Street, Santa Cruz, followed by burial at Oakwood Memorial Park, Paul Sweet Road. In lieu of flowers Richard would like you to make any contributions to Hospice of Santa Cruz and/or Visiting Angels.