Max Leon Burns & Doris Fay Burns

Doris Fay Dixon Burns 84 of Fort Smith passed on May 22, 2022. She was born in Kingfisher, Oklahoma, on October 16, 1937, the first daughter and second of five children born to Nolan Dixon and Letha Gritz Dixon.

Max and Doris are survived by their daughter, Deborah Beckham and husband, Daniel of Fort Smith, six grandchildren, ten great-grand-children, and one great-great-grandchild and lots of nieces and nephews, Max's brother, AJ Burns, Doris' sister, Mary Jane Dixon McAdams and husband Howard of Kingfisher and her sister-in-love Carla Steele Dixon of Bethany.

They were preceded in death by their son, Max, II; Max's parents, his brother James, and his sister Dorothy Pray, Doris' parents Nolan and Letha Gritz Dixon, and her brothers, John, Frank, and Bill Dixon.

Following his high school and undergraduate education, Max earned his first Master’s Degree in Education from Northwestern Oklahoma State University in Alva, Oklahoma, in 1967, then a Master’s in Library Science from Appalachian State University in Boone North Carolina, in 1970. With his degree in education, Max taught in Alva, Oklahoma schools, as well as Caldwell, Kansas schools.

Following his teaching career, Max made use of his library degree and was Head Librarian for Westark Community College, until his retirement in 1992. Following retirement, and not one to be idle, Max went to work for Sparks Hospital as an EMT, then in the ER in triage, and lastly in the employment office, until his second retirement in 2005. Max was a member at East Side Baptist Church.

Doris grew up in Kingfisher except for the first couple of school years, when her dad, Nolan worked for the defense plant in Guthrie. The family returned to Kingfisher when Doris was in third grade and she graduated from Kingfisher High School in 1955. She married Max Burns in August 5, 1956 and they had two children, Max Leon, II, and Deborah Lynne.

Doris graduated with an Associate of Arts degree from Westark Junior College in 1972, now the University of Arkansas Fort Smith, and was a member of the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society. After graduating Doris continued to take art classes including drawing, painting, silk screening, pen & ink, and pottery. According to the records including the hours she obtained from her associates degree, she actually completed a total of 98 college credit hours.

She enjoyed many hobbies, sewing, arts & crafts, and dried and silk flower arrangements. Two such projects included making a full house of Barbie furniture, including a kitchen for her daughter and a life-sized painted wooden nativity scene, including the barn structure that displayed the pieces.

A memorial service celebrating the lives of Max and Doris will be held Saturday, June 4, 2022 at 1:00 PM at Edwards Funeral Home in Fort Smith.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the University of Arkansas Fort Smith Lions Share Scholarship program and the University of Arkansas Fort Smith Library.