Deborah "Deb" Lynn Burns

Deb Burns, on December 27, 2023, left the sides of her husband and son to take a ride on angel’s wings to be with our Lord, after a brief but courageous fight with pancreatic cancer. 

Born on the South Side of Chicago on March 15, 1955, to Bill and Ethel Skeates, a sister to Diane and Bill. Deb attended and graduated from St. Joseph’s College, where she met Jim. They married on June of 1978. She taught kindergarten before becoming a mother to Tim, her most cherished role in life. Deb enjoyed traveling, especially to Anna Maria Island, Florida. She always enjoyed get-togethers with family and friends, who will miss her immensely. She loved living in the country, caring for the family’s four legged friends, as well as those wild ones; walks along the beach or in the woods. She was an avid Chicago Bears fan, enjoying many tailgates at home games. Deb was very proud of her association with Naylor Pipe Company through her father Bill, and her Southside Irish Heritage.

She is predeceased by her parents, brother, and sister. She is survived by her husband, Jim; son, Tim; brother-in-law, Ed (Diane) Hanley; sisters-in-law, Karen (Dennis) Tynan, Mary Ellen (Patrick) McCluskey and Susanne (Paul) Monsen; nieces, Keri (Aaron) Robbins, Kate Tynan, Kaya and Lyndsay Monsen; nephews, Chris (Melissa), Bryan (Kasie), Colin Hanley, and Dennis and Kyle Tynan; as well as several great nieces and nephews.

The family expresses their gratitude for the loving care of the ER, 5th and 6th floor, and oncology nurses and staff at Javon Bea Hospital and Mercy Health Hospice.

A Funeral Mass will be on Saturday, January 13, 2024, at 11:00 a.m., at St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church, 1010 Ferguson Street, Rockford IL 61102. A visitation will be prior to mass starting at 10:00 a.m. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Deb’s favorite charity, Old Dog Haven in Oak Harbor, Washington, Noah’s Ark in Rockford, or National Association for Down Syndrome. Please share memories and condolences online at www.fitzgeraldfh.com.