Carrold Eldon Burns, born on November 17, 1924 in Garden City, KS, passed away peacefully on November 30. Due to a kidney removal in the Kansas’ dustbowl days, he escaped death’s grasp seven times. He went on to prove himself an excellent athlete in both basketball and tennis

despite this childhood setback. Carrold worked stateside during WWII as an aircraft mechanic. While he enjoyed his military experience, the happiest time of his life was going to work for the military as a civilian in Heidelberg, Germany to release soldiers stationed in Europe after the war. He was valued for his fast and accurate typing skills.

Carrold, a very shy young man, met the love of his life Dzdria through an impromptu introduction. Dzdria and Carrold married in Heidelberg in 1948. Upon receiving notice of his father’s death, they moved to the US to be closer to family and raise their son. Carrold was incapable of being idle and worked farm jobs until he was accepted to the University of Denver, where he graduated from the School of Business. While in college, he worked as a teller for Union National Bank. Carrold went on to work for Guaranty Bank, Union National Bank, and Arvada State Bank where he retired in 1986 as vice president. Mentored by W.L. Johnson, Union National Bank President, Carrold became a life-long, trusted friend of the family.

Carrold’s most important career achievements were ethical. During his employment in Germany, he found a signed copy of Mein Kampf while exploring the attic of the building where he worked. He gave it the historian attached to his unit. A similar situation happened in 1957 when he found a safety deposit box, loaded with every kind of coin, reflecting US history. He brought the safety deposit box to his superiors so it could be returned to its rightful owner. Carrold lived up to the adage of his Catholic faith ‘lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.’

Carrold was amiable and charming. His irony reflected a natural sense of humor. Beyond his affability, his employers and customers knew they could trust him with their money.

Carrold and Dzidra retired to Olympia, WA. They both enjoyed working the election polls and he was an usher at St. Michael Parish. After Dzidra died in 2005, Carrold moved to Vashon, WA and then to Seattle, WA to be closer to his family. He is survived by his sister, Mary Jo Remmert of Garden City, KS; his son Patrick Burns of Seattle, WA; and by his granddaughter and great granddaughter, Emily and Mara Burns of Vashon, WA. We miss the affable gentle man who was always in our corner and was our model how to really live the good life.

The family would like to express their deepest gratitude to the staff at Providence Mt. St. Vincent Nursing Home in West Seattle for their compassionate care for Carrold as he suffered Alzheimer’s disease. In lieu of flowers, the family requests friends to make donations to Mt. St. Vincent to help residents who are no longer able to pay their bill or the charity of their choosing.

Please visit his guest book at: www.islandfuneral.com