Patrick Burns

Patrick Burns Obituary

Patrick Burns, 67, of Washington, DC, passed away peacefully on May 6, 2025, after 13 years of treatment for an aggressive prostate cancer. 

Patrick (Pat) is survived by his wife, Mary Suffoletta of Washington, DC; his son, Nino Burnspatrick Suffoletta of Washington, DC; brother Paul Burns and sister-in-law Nubia Gutierrez of Las Vegas, Nevada; brother Francis (Fran) Burns of Houston, Texas; brother Eugene (Gene) Burns and sister-in-law Alison Hirschel of East Lansing, Michigan; brother James (Jim) Burns of Grand Junction, Colorado; sister Suzanne (Burns) Brady and brother-in-law Michael Brady of Wilmington, Delaware; nephew Larry Cauley and niece Amy (Cauley) Brown; nephews Alexander Burns and Benjamin Burns; nieces Audrey Burns and Abigail Burns; nephews Daniel Hirschel-Burns and Timothy Hirschel-Burns and Nicholas Hirschel-Burns; and nieces Lindsey (Brady) Xu and Rachel Brady.  Pat is pre-deceased by his brother Michael Burns in 2014 and by his sister Maureen (Burns) Johnson in 2022.

Pat, the son of the late Paul and Kathleen (Reader) Burns, spent his early years in New Castle, Delaware, and graduated from William Penn High School in 1975.  Pat also graduated from the University of Delaware in 1982 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration.  Following college, Pat moved to Arizona and Texas; and soon began a career in the oil business, operating and managing a Mobil gas station and selling beer to customers.  With economic changes affecting the oil business, Pat departed the United States and traveled to Europe for several months, exploring different countries and cultures, and warm-heartedly conversing with patrons of local pubs. He heard about the growth of the computer industry during his travels, and returned to the United States and began a career in computer programming with the federal government.  Pat soon transferred from Texas to Washington, DC.

Pat met the love of his life, Mary, in 1989, just before she entered law school and they married after her graduation in 1994.  Pat shared married life with Mary for 30 years and often referred to her as “Mary the Good.”  He was also a fabulous Dad to their son, Nino, treasured the time he spent with him, and watched proudly as Nino grew to adulthood and started his own path in life.

Pat worked as an employee of the Treasury Department for over 30 years before retiring in March 2019. He worked primarily with mainframe computers, and the later part of his career was spent on criminal investigations and modernization techniques.  Pat was a true champion for ensuring that coding documentation included clear explanations to spot errors quickly and easily make corrections.

Pat enjoyed working with his hands and has been described as a master craftsman of wood.  He spent an hour or two daily on various projects, such as sanding and staining wood, and making trim and furniture.  With the help of his college buddies, Pat built a sunroom on the back of the house in Washington, DC.  He also replaced the front porch with brick pillars, which withstood an earthquake; and with the help of a neighbor and a DC architect, Pat designed and constructed a large shed at Pat and Mary’s second home in Baie Saint Paul, Quebec in 2024. 

Pat loved spending time with family and friends.  He particularly enjoyed exploring national parks in the United States and in Canada.  He read books on traveling and hiked miles of trails.  He enjoyed being surrounded by nature and described being at peace with Mother Nature. Pat loved to travel and was fortunate to have taken many wonderful trips together with his family and friends.  He was an avid bike rider and a musician.

Relatives and friends are invited to attend a Celebration of Pat’s Life on Friday, May 16, at 11:00am at Ebenezers Coffeehouse (lower level), 201 F Street, NE, Washington, DC 20002.

In lieu of flowers, plant a tree to remember Patrick Burns as an environmentally friendly option. See https://shop.alivingtribute.org