Bobby J. Burns
Gift of a Lifetime
Bobby J. Burns
Bobby J. Burns was born in 1959 to Polly Faye Maynard Burns and the late Paul Burns. Bobby was a 1977 graduate of Chesapeake High School and a 1995 graduate of the Scioto County Joint Vocational School where he received his Licensed Practical Nursing Degree. In addition to serving as the Development Director of the City of Portsmouth, Bobby moonlighted as an LPN in the Emergency Department of the Adams County Hospital.
“Often when asked by others what type of work he did, Bob would always reply by saying he was a public servant, which is exactly how he saw himself. He lived to help others, young and old. As he put it, the young ones, ‘they just need someone to really listen to them’ and he would just be there for them and the elderly. He would always feel the seniors would so graciously extend their arms and welcome him into their family. He believed that his job with the city of Portsmouth gave him the opportunity to help,†recalled his wife, Michele.
“Thanksgiving was his favorite holiday. He always said he had a lot to be thankful for because it seemed he was always getting a lot more than he gave. Nothing could shine his name brighter than a scholarship for children, and we, the Burns family, thank all of those involved in helping a true loving man's name live on,†expressed Michele.
"During the final stages of the development of this scholarship we lost a good friend---Bob Burns. Sometime during the days that followed we were struck with the notion of what better way to say thank you to Bob than to name this scholarship after him. Through this award it is our hope Bob's life and good work will continue for many years to come," said former Mayor Greg Bauer.
The scholarship assists a graduating senior that is a child of a City of Portsmouth employee planning to attend Shawnee State University. The recipient must also be active in the community. This scholarship can be renewable for three years provided the recipient maintains a 2.0 GPA.