Aileen Burns Cieply was born in Los Angeles, California, on July 19, 1930, to Lillian Canty Burns and Morris Hughes Burns. She grew up in Los Angeles and attended Los Angeles High School and then UCLA. She passed away in Austin on January 22, 2020, after a brief illness but a long and fulfilling life.
Aileen met her husband William W. Cieply in Ponca City, Oklahoma. Bill had gone to work for Conoco after graduation from Pitt (and serving in General Patton’s Third Army during World War II). They were soon married, and not long after began what would be a half century of world-wide travels. Aileen and Bill started out in Morgan City, Louisiana. Their first international destination was Mexico City, and from there they went to London. The years in London in particular were when they began developing life-long friendships in the American expatriate community. After London, they lived in Westport, Connecticut for several years, before heading to Singapore. The years in Singapore were filled with trips all around the Far East and more and more friends.
After Singapore, they came “home” to Texas. While not a native Texan, Aileen’s family had deep roots in Texas. And most of her family was here. Their years in Houston and time at their second home in April Sound provided even more memories with family, old friends, and new friends. Aileen and Bill and their son John moved to Austin after Bill’s retirement in the mid 1990’s, to be close to their son Patrick, his wife Patrice, and their beloved only grandson, Matthew.
Aileen will be fondly remembered for her caring and loving spirit and exceptional hospitality. She was an adventuresome and excellent gourmet cook, and every meal with Aileen was a celebration. She was a successful realtor in both Westport and Houston. Aileen was always an avid shopper for antiques and porcelain – a love that bloomed in London where she frequented Portobello Road and the London Silver Vaults. Shipping containers filled with porcelain and antiques followed them in their moves. But her real treasures were her friends. Aileen kept in touch with friends made across three continents and six decades, and she was dearly loved by so many.
Aileen and Bill were excellent bridge players. Family gatherings were filled with hours of bridge and jigsaw puzzles. Aileen’s most recent love for the game was played in the St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church bridge group in Austin.
Aileen was especially proud of her family’s Texas history and family ties. Her grandmother, Jonnie Hughes Burns, spent years tracing the family history back to Herndon Haralson, who was born in Orange County, North Carolina, October 12, 1757, and served as a Captain under General Green in the Colonial army. Jonnie Burns, or Gommie as she was known in the family, became a Daughter of the American Revolution. She also researched the Burns family history, back to Robert Burns, a native of Scotland, who immigrated to South Carolina in the 1700’s. Of note, Edward A. Burns, Aileen’s grandfather, moved to Giddings from Lexington after Lee County was created out of Burleson County, and in 1896 he became the first elected tax collector in Lee County (in addition to fathering at least 11 children, including Aileen’s father, Morris Burns). Aileen faithfully preserved all of Gommie’s research and shared it with her extended family.
Aileen was preceded in death by her son Patrick. She was also preceded in death by her brother Morris “Bobby” Burns and his wife Mercedes and their son Robert, and by her beloved cousin Joan Hertz Taylor and Aileen’s and namesake and Joan’s mother, Aileen Burns Hertz McBride.
Aileen is survived by her loving husband Bill Cieply, son John, grandson Matthew, and daughter-in-law Patrice. Joan Taylor’s family was her other family and all loved Aileen dearly, and she is survived by Joan’s husband Glenn, and their children Tim, Becky, and Diana and their families.
The family is grateful for the love and support of so many friends, especially Deborah Burroughs, who was of great support and assistance to Aileen the last few years.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to one of the following: Alzheimer’s Texas https://www.txalz.org/, or Lone Survivor Foundation https://lonesurvivorfoundation.org/, or Austin Pets Alive https://www.austinpetsalive.org/, or NAMI Texas, https://namitexas.org/.
Graveside services will be at 12:00 noon on Saturday, February 1, 2020, at the Giddings City Cemetery, where Aileen will be buried in the Burns family plot.
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