Obituary: The Honorable Robert P. Burns, 89, of Branford

Information via W. S. Clancy Memorial Funeral Home

The Honorable Robert P. Burns, Retired Superior Court Judge, died Sunday May 8, 2016 having spent his final days surrounded by family at Connecticut Hospice in Branford. He was the beloved husband of 60 years to Kathleen Borzani Burns.

Judge Burns was born in Torrington, CT, June 3, 1926, son of the late Edward J. and Judith Palm Burns. A graduate of Torrington High School, Class of 1943, he interrupted his studies at Yale University to serve in the U. S. Navy during World War II (1944-46) onboard the USS Floyd B. Parks. He later received his A.B. from Yale (1949) and LLB at New York University School of Law (1954).

A dedicated public servant and civic leader, he served as President of the Torrington Jaycees (1954-56) and earned the State of CT Jaycees Outstanding Young Man (1961).

Proud to have served all three branches of government, he won his election as State Senator from Torrington (1959-61). He later left his mark in community development, serving as Executive Director for the Bloomfield Redevelopment Agency (1964-66), Chief of Development for the New Haven Housing Authority (1966-67), Special Assistant to Commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Community Affairs (1967-69) and as the Connecticut Bar Association Planning and Zoning Commissioner.

An expert in Planning and Zoning, he wrote the preface to Terry Tondro's "Connecticut Land Use Regulation: A Legal Guide for Lawyers, Commissioners, Consultants, and other Users of the Land" and was an authority often cited by lawyers, courts, municipal officials and zoning boards.

A member of the Yale class council and an Associate Fellow of Jonathan Edwards College, he served as secretary of the Class of '49 (1984-88) and chaired his reunion in 1979. He was a member of Mory's, the Graduate Club of New Haven, the CT Academy of Arts and Science and the Branford Yacht Club and served as president of the CT Ballet (1978-82).

He was a partner in private practice at the Marcus and Burns Law Firm (1969-84) before becoming a State Superior Court Judge (1985-96), and later a State Trial Referee (1996-2005).

Devoted husband, father, "Pop Pop", brother and uncle, "the Judge" is survived by his wife, Kathleen, children, Kathleen (Robert) Lichtenstein of Raleigh, NC, Robin (Douglas) Henry of Hanover, NH, Nancy (Christian) Kafoglis of New Haven and R. Scott (Claire) Burns of Bridgeport; grandchildren, Matthew and Alexander Lichtenstein, Ian and Taylor Henry, Zachary and Benjamin Kafoglis, and Katherine and Colin Burns, and many nieces and nephews.

The youngest of eight children, he was predeceased by his siblings, Helen Scannell, Father Edward J. Burns, Judith Molan, Harold Burns, Miriam Halpine, Lillian Queen and Laurene Falsey.

Friends are invited to calling hours Thursday from 4-7 pm at the W. S. Clancy Memorial Funeral Home, 244 North Main Street, Branford, and are invited to a Mass of Christian Burial Friday at 11:00 am at St. Mary Church, Branford. Graveside service will be Saturday at 11:00 am in New St. Francis Cemetery, Torrington.