Elliot “Bud” Burns

PERU – Elliot “Bud” Burns passed away peacefully on Oct. 23, 2022, with his family by his side after a long, courageous battle with Parkinson’s Disease. Bud was born in Rumford, Maine, on Jan. 8, 1935, to Erlon and Mary (Elliot) Burns. He grew up in Rumford Point and attended Rumford schools graduating from Stephens High School in June 1953. Growing up, he was a member of the Rumford Point Congregational Church and he participated in Boy Scouts.

While in high school he was an active member of the band where he played the tuba, he was elected to the National Honor Society and he played on the basketball and baseball teams. In his senior year, his team won the Western Maine Boys Basketball championship. He continued to play summer baseball in Rumford Point after graduation. After graduating from Stephen’s High, Bud went on to attend University of Maine at Orono graduating in May of 1957 with a bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering. Upon graduation from UMaine, he was hired into the as an engineer at Oxford Paper Company in Rumford. In 1958 he was drafted into the US Army Signal Corps and served for two years. In 1960 he was transferred from active duty to the U.S. Army Reserves where he served another four years. When he was released from active duty, he returned to his job at the Oxford Paper Company.

In 1961 he met and married the love of his life, Barbara Gayle Cameron. When they were married, Bud joined the Rumford United Methodist Church and became an active member serving on several committees for many years. In April of 1963 they welcomed their first child, Arthur, and the following year he built their family home in South Rumford where they lived for the next 32 years. In April 1966 they welcomed their daughter, Gayle, to the family.

Bud continued to work at Oxford (later Ethyl Corporation and Boise Cascade) throughout his entire professional career in increasingly larger Engineering roles. He and Barb also owned a TV rental business at the Rumford hospital. After accepting an early retirement offer in 1991, he worked part-time at two different hardware stores in Rumford and as a tour guide in the mill sharing his handyman skills and love of the mill and the paper-making process.

Despite all of the time he spent at work, family was always first and foremost in Bud’s life. Whether it was enjoying Arthur’s choral and dramatic performances or cheering from the stands at Gayle’s basketball games and track meets or making improvements on the family cottage, Bud was always there for his family.

For many years Barb and Bud were active members of the Mollyockett Mixers square dance club in Rumford and traveled around the state to dances on the weekends. Bud also worked with both the Oxford and Fryeburg Fairs for over 30 years in roles ranging from Entertainment Director to Treasurer to Sheep Superintendent. He also was an active member of the Rumford Historical Society, Charter Commission, Bicentennial Committee and River Valley Growth Council – always trying to improve his hometown. He even wrote two historical books – one about the history of the mill and one about the town.

Bud always enjoyed building furniture and carving figurines. He gave many of his pieces away to family members as cherished gifts while keeping some to enjoy himself.

In 1996 he and Barb fully retired and became true snowbirds – spending 20 winters in Naples, Fla., and later moving to Zephyrhills, Fla. Bud and Barb always enjoyed traveling – both RVing and cruising – and made so many wonderful memories as they traveled.

As much as he loved his time in Florida and traveling, Bud enjoyed summers at Worthley Pond his entire adult life and loved working on the family cottage there. Family has always been his top priority and seeing his children grow up at camp and then bring their children to camp always made him happy.

He is survived by his wife of over 60 years, his son, Arthur Burns and wife Lisa of Hooksett, N.H., his daughter, Gayle Maddox and her husband Eric of Hooksett, N.H.; two brothers: Harry Burns of Rumford and Dick Burns and his wife Barbara of Searsport, Maine; his brother-in-law and sister-in-law Robert and Louanne Cameron of Rumford; his grandson, Collin Burns of Mechanicsburg, Pa.; his granddaughters, Abby Burns and Sarah Maddox of Hooksett, N.H., along with many nieces, nephews. He is predeceased by his parents, his sister Mary Lou Burns and his sister-in-law Francis Burns.

The family would like to thank some very special nurses who cared for Bud in his final weeks. Mary Gideon from Clover Health Care and Margaret Quinn from Androscoggin Hospice took such wonderful care of Bud as well as the whole family making a very difficult time so much easier to get through.

Visiting hours will be at Meader and Son Funeral Home, 3 Franklin St., Rumford, on Sunday, October 30, from 2-4 and 6-8 p.m., with a funeral on Monday, October 31, at 11 a.m., at the Rumford United Methodist Church, 455 Linnell St. Rumford.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Bud’s name to the Greater Rumford Community Center’s heating fund at 50 Congress Street,

Rumford ME 04276

(attn: Gary Dolloff)

or Rumford United Methodist Church

50 Franklin Street

Rumford, ME 04276