Earl Dean Burns was born January 18, 1940, in the Mouser Stave Mill Camp located on Big Creek in Shannon County, Missouri. He died on May 2, 2026. He was the oldest of five sons born to William and Mary Burns. He grew up on a small ridge farm on Highway 72, known as The Burns Stretch, approximately five miles southeast of Bunker, Missouri. He attended Bunker School from first through twelfth grade and graduated from Bunker High School in 1957.

Dean attended Southeast Missouri State University and graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Education degree in 1961.

He worked as a laborer on construction in St. Louis during the summers to pay his way through college. He began his teaching career at Bunker High School where he taught classes in art, industrial arts, and world history. He earned a master’s degree and a doctorate degree from the University of Missouri in Columbia.

Dean has served as executive secretary of the Missouri Association of Secondary School Principals, chairman of the Cooperating School Districts of St. Louis County, chairman of the Missouri Advisory Panel for Special Education, and a member of the Missouri Commissioner of Education Advisory Council.

He was an active Rotarian for more than 25 years, receiving the Distinguished Services Award from the Eureka, Missouri, Chamber of Commerce, and a Citation of Merit Award from Central Missouri State University, College of Education.

Most of his professional career was spent primarily in the area of St. Louis County as a teacher, principal, assistant superintendent, and superintendent including school districts of Rockwood, Northwest R-1, Mehlville, DeSoto, Ste. Genevieve, and Warrensburg. In his professional career, spanning 44 years, he served 16 years as superintendent of schools, and 10 years as coordinator of elementary education for Central Methodist University on the campus of Mineral Area College in Park Hills, Missouri.

He is preceded in death by his parents, William and Mary (Meade) Burns, his infant brother, Emory Douglas Burns, and his beloved sister-in-law, Brenda (Polk) Burns. Dean is survived by his beloved wife, Chris (Roring) Burns, of 30 years; two daughters, Deanna (James) Breeden of Eureka, Missouri with three children, Jordan, Jamie, and Joel, and Danette (David) Randolph of Chesterfield, Missouri with two sons, Kirk (Sabrina Maschhoff) and Dean (Aubrie Peschel); three great-grandchildren, Hayes, Maren, and Camden Randolph; two stepsons, John Williams II (Kerri Anne Noble) of Port Charlotte, Florida with three children, John III (Jheel Gosain), Tyler (Emily Raether) and Allison (Hunter Allen), and Christopher Williams (Amy Turner) of Farmington, Missouri with three sons, Joe (Madi Vaeth), Jack, and Jace; and brothers, Richard (Trudy), Dan, and David (Sherry McGaughey); along with many nieces, nephews, cousins, and dear friends.

Dean and Chris enjoyed traveling, antiquing, and visiting with their children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. Dean was honored to be a husband, father, grandfather, great grandfather, teacher, educational leader, craftsman, artist, author of two books, somewhat a farmer, and somewhat a barber. In his later years, he received tremendous joy as a Sunday School teacher. He enjoyed a variety of music, loved people, and shared his good sense of humor with everyone he met.

Visitation will be held at First Baptist Church, 210 North A Street, Farmington, Missouri, on Saturday, May 9, 2026 from 10:00 AM until the time of a funeral service at Noon with Rev. Greg Robinson officiating. Interment will follow at Hillview Memorial Gardens in Farmington, Missouri. In lieu of flowers, please send memorial donations to the E. Dean Burns Bunker Scholarship Fund, making checks to the Bunker R-3 School and mail to 1 Eagle Pride Dr., Bunker, MO 63629 in care of Jenna Barton. Arrangements are under the direction of C.Z. Boyer & Son Funeral Home – Taylor Chapel in Farmington, MO.