Clay L. Burns

He was graduated from Temple High School, Baylor University, and Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.

In 1951, he married Margaret Dillard of Bartlett, Texas.

Ordained as a Baptist minister in 1945, he continued in the ministry for over fifty years. At the request of his home church, he was organizing pastor of Heights Baptist Church, Temple, serving there 6 years. Subsequent pastorates included, First Baptist Church Florence, Texas, Walnut Creek Baptist Church, Austin, Texas, First Baptist Church, Clifton, Texas, and First Baptist Christine, Texas.

After initial study at Parkland Hospital in Dallas, in 1970, he came to San Antonio for the Clinical Pastoral Education program of the Baptist Hospital System. Following the completion of that program, he became the first staff chaplain of the new Southeast Baptist Hospital, where he continued for twenty-five years, retiring in 1995. During the years at Southeast Baptist Hospital, he also pastored the Christine Baptist Church, Atascosa County for twelve years.

He was active in the Southeast San Antonio Clergy Group. He has been an active member and deacon of First Baptist Church, San Antonio, a member of the Human Welfare Coordinating Board of the Baptist General Convention of Texas, and for a time was a field representative for Texas Baptist Committed. He was a Fellow of the College of Chaplains of the American Protestant Hospital Association.

His lifetime hobbies were gardening and genealogy. He was a member of the Sons of the American Revolution and Sons of Confederate Veterans.

He is survived by his wife, Margaret; two daughters, Brenda Groves and her husband, John of Spartanburg, SC, and Bridget Burns of Albuquerque, NM; three grandchildren, Charlie and his wife Chelsea, Columbia, SC, Ben Groves, Clemson, SC, and Carolyn Groves of Spartanburg, SC; one sister, Evelyn Gibson of Moody, Texas; several nieces and one nephew.

In lieu of flowers memorials may be made to T.V. Ministry and Building for a New Century Fund both of First Baptist Church 515 McCullough, San Antonio, TX 78215 or VNA Hospice of San Antonio, 8721 Botts Lane, San Antonio, TX 78217.