April 8, 1930 – February 4, 2019
Olive Elizabeth “Tucker” Martin Burns, 88, of Dallas and San Antonio, Texas, died Monday, February 4, 2019, with her family at her side.
Tucker was born April 8, 1930, in Montgomery, Texas, and was the daughter of Olive Elizabeth Willis and Isaac “Stump” Lafayette Martin, Sr. She attended boarding school at Ursuline Academy in San Antonio and graduated college from University of Incarnate Word before starting her career as a grade school teacher at Fort Sam Houston Elementary School.
Tucker married her husband Harry J. Burns, Jr., on June 17, 1950. They had three children, Paul Michael (Mike) Burns; Douglas Martin Burns; and Mary Elizabeth (Molly) Burns Banowetz, and two grandchildren, Lila Elizabeth Burns Banowetz and Weston Carter Burns Banowetz.
Tucker was proud of her heritage and was a 7th generation Texan. She and her husband were members of the San Antonio Country Club where Tucker was an avid tennis player and loved to swim. For over 10 years, she found great joy as a tour guide, showing visitors her beloved city of San Antonio and talking about its rich history. Tucker also had a deep appreciation of art and was a docent for more than 20 years at the McNay Art Museum. She had an incredible sense of adventure and traveled throughout the country and abroad to learn more about art and to experience different cultures.
After the death of her husband in 2011, Tucker relocated in 2013 to the CC Young senior living center, located near White Rock Lake in Dallas, Texas, to be near her daughter and grandchildren. It was here where she met her second soul mate, Don Michel, who was recently widowed and who became her constant companion for the next six years.
Surviving are her son, Mike Burns of San Antonio; daughter Molly Burns Banowetz and her husband Leon Banowetz of Dallas; grandchildren Lila and Weston Banowetz of Dallas; her companion Don Michel of Dallas; and sister Rose Marie “Hoopie” Stortz of Midland.
Tucker was preceded in death by her husband Harry Burns, her son, Douglas Burns; her daughter-in-law Suzanne (Shultz) Burns, her parents, and two brothers and two sisters.
A Memorial Mass of the Resurrection will be celebrated by the Rev. Kevin Shanahan on Tuesday, March 12, 2019 at 10:30 a.m. at St. Anthony de Padua Catholic Church, 102 Lorenz Road in San Antonio, Texas. A reception for family and friends will immediately follow at the parish hall. Interment will be private.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in honor of Tucker Burns to the White Rock Lake Conservancy, PO Box 140227, Dallas, TX 75214; The Humane Society of San Antonio, 4804 Fredericksburg Road, San Antonio, Texas 78229; or a charity of your choice.
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