Theresa Burnes

Mrs. Burnes final place of rest is located in Garden of Devotion I, L-8, Space 3. Theresa Lillie Burnes, 87, passed away on June 5, 2023. She was a devout Christian, a beloved wife, mother, grandmother and mother-in-law, a devoted friend, a caring teacher, a passionate New Orleans Saints fan and a world traveler. Theresa, a 33-year resident of Rabun County, Georgia, was married for 51 years to Charlie Burnes before his passing in February 2020, and loved her family, her music and her God above all Theresa was the daughter of the late Lawrence Christopher Gardner and Mattie Byrd Gardner of New Orleans, a graduate of Fortier High School in 1953 and member of First Baptist New Orleans. Her church and family set the foundation for the rest of her life. She received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Newcomb College in 1957 and a Master of Education from Tulane University in 1966. Theresa found a way to combine two of her passions – teaching and travel – while also serving her country. After beginning her teaching career in Jefferson County, Colorado in 1957, she served as a teacher of military children. This role took her to Department of Defense bases in Newfoundland, Canada; Izmir and Ankara, Turkey; Zaragoza, Spain and Zweibrücken, Germany. During her time in Newfoundland, Theresa was a charter member in organizing Stephenville Baptist Church. While in Turkey, she taught her students in a laundromat due to limited government resources. She found the unique challenges presented overseas to be invigorating. While teaching abroad, Theresa took advantage of the ability to travel and explore throughout Europe and Africa, where she visited over 35 countries before she was 35. She was the ringleader of the teachers on the bases, planning their weekend adventures which included hopping in her Volkswagen VW Bug and racing down the autobahn as well as exploring lands further afield. On one of her trips, Theresa displayed her sense of adventure and successfully bartered with an African Maasai tribesman for his spear. She also navigated the streets of Communist Moscow during the height of the Cold War to find and worship in one of the few Baptist churches in the country. She took great care to transport and give the pastor a New Testament Bible which was difficult to do during those times. Theresa was also blessed to worship in Bethlehem on Christmas Eve. During her last overseas teaching assignment in 1968 in Germany, Theresa met and married the late James Charles Burnes, III. They returned to Georgia to build a family and she continued her teaching career in Baldwin County, Jones County, Putnam County and Rabun County. For almost 35 years, Theresa taught children the basics of reading, writing and arithmetic but more importantly, she instilled a strong moral compass in her classroom and taught her students to be kind, thoughtful, independent and resourceful. Her family estimates she taught approximately 1,500 students throughout her career. Theresa was a loving, supportive and devoted mother to her daughter, JaCee Marie Burnes, and her son, Brannon Gardner Burnes. Theresa never missed a ballgame, an awards ceremony, a play, a recital or any of her children’s and grandchildren’s many activities. She instilled faith in Jesus Christ as well as many of her passions in her children – JaCee has Theresa’s wanderlust, zest for adventure and staunch independence. However, she did not inherit Theresa’s ability to balance a checkbook. Brannon has her devotion to family, a strong, stable family life as well as her patience and giving nature. He also has her secret sugar cookie recipe, although he cannot make them taste the same as much as he tries. Theresa was a member of Clayton Baptist Church and a member of the northeast chapter of the Georgia Power Ambassadors. She enjoyed playing bridge, gardening, connecting with family, helping others, witnessing for Jesus and playing hymns. Theresa is survived by her daughter, JaCee and her husband Joseph Richard Trpik, Jr. of Chicago; and her son, Brannon, his wife, Summer and her three grandchildren, Autumn, Robert and Emma Burnes of Sylva, North Carolina. Please join us in celebrating Theresa’s life at a service on Saturday, June 10, 2023 at 12:00 pm at Clayton Baptist Church followed by food and fellowship in the Ministry Activity Center (MAC). A visitation with family will also be held before the service at 11:00 am. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to honor Theresa to Clayton Baptist Church, Place of Hope, Georgia Baptist Children’s Home or a charity of your choice. Beck Funeral Home, in Clayton, Georgia, is honored to serve the family of Theresa Lillie Burnes. Beck Funeral Home, in Clayton, Georgia, is in charge of the arrangements. If there are any questions, please call 706-782-9599. An online Memorial Register Book is available at www.beckfuneralhome.com. To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Theresa Lillie (Gardner) Burnes, please visit our floral store. Cemetery arrangements have been entrusted to Yonah Memorial Gardens at 255 Central Ave. Demorest, Ga. 30535. Telephone 706-778-8599.