Brent Allen Burns

Brent Allen Burns went to be with the Lord on Oct. 5, 2020, due to a sudden illness.

He was born to Allen N. Burns and Anne Rose Burns on Dec. 4, 1961, in Fort Sill, Oklahoma, where his father was stationed with the Army. The family then moved to Houston, Texas. Brent, born deaf, attended the Houston Speech and Hearing Center. When he was 5 the family moved to Rochester, New York, where he attended Rochester School for the Deaf (RSD). While at RSD he was on the soccer and swim teams. He was a Boy Scout and earned the rank of Eagle. He graduated Valedictorian in 1979 and headed to Washington, DC, to attend Gallaudet College. He majored in Social Work and enjoyed being part of a strong deaf community. He graduated in 1983 and started work at Texas State Technical College (TSTC) in Waco.

He enjoyed being on a bowling team and attending Columbus Avenue Baptist Church. In 1985 Brent married Barbara Verspoor, a deaf education teacher. They moved to Massachusetts, adopted two children and eventually moved back to Texas where Brent returned to work for TSTC in Waco. As members of Columbus Avenue Baptist Church, Barbara was active in the deaf choir and Brent taught Sunday school for 20 years. He earned a Masters of Education from Baylor University. His lovely wife Barbara went to be with the Lord in 2006 after a lifelong battle with heart disease. He worked for TSTC for 20 years and retired in 2018. He then moved to Bacliff, Texas.

Brent became involved with the Houston Deaf Seniors Citizens Love Fund club rising to first vice-president and editor of their monthly newsletter. He thoroughly enjoyed the Houston Deaf community. He was also a Sunday School teacher at Woodhaven Baptist Church in Katy, Texas.

Brent was a sports enthusiast and his true love was lacrosse. In his early days in Texas he wrote a newsletter highlighting the happenings of the Texas’ university lacrosse clubs. He enjoyed learning about local eateries, keeping up with the dynamic Houston area weather, sharing tidbits of Texas history, witty sayings, watching British TV shows and conversing with friends on Facebook all over the world, especially those in Scotland.

Brent was preceded in death by his wife, Barbara “Button” Verspoor Burns; daughter, Lindsey Hope; his father, Allen N. Burns; and his paternal and maternal grandparents.

He is survived by his children, Rachel Joy Burns and Jordan A. Burns; his mother, Anne Rose Baugh (Hollis); his sister, Catherine Burns (Jim Riviera); step-brother, Hollis II; step-sisters, Danise, Carrie, and Janna; nephew, Raul Hinjosa III (Ashley); niece, Alyssa Calhoun (Jacob, son Logan, daughter Evelyn); step-nephew, Matt Riviera (Jolene, daughters Sophia and Mya); step-niece, Vicky Riviera Molina (Christina); great-aunts, Glenda Burns Minnece (John) and Karen Rose; in-laws, Lou and Carolyn Verspoor; brother-in-law Keith Verspoor (Diana); sister-in-law, Sheryl Verspoor; and many loving cousins.

In lieu of flowers please made donations in Brent’s name to Woodhaven Baptist Deaf Church (www.deafwe.org), Houston Deaf Senior Citizens Love Fund (www.hdsclf.org).

A graveside service will be held at 1:00 p.m. Saturday, October 10, 2020, at Broaddus Cemetery in Broaddus, Texas.

Visitation will be held Saturday, Oct. 10, 2020, at Wyman Roberts Funeral Home in San Augustine, Texas, beginning at 11:30 a.m. with a precession leaving for the cemetery at 12:30 p.m.

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