Dr. Padraic Burns

Dr. Padraic Burns, a well-known psychiatrist, died peacefully in his Brookline home on December 14, 2024. Padraic Burns, “Paddy” to all, was a beloved husband, father, doctor, and lifelong friend to many.

Born in Des Moines, Iowa in 1929, Padraic, the second child and eldest son of Charles and Ethel Burns, grew up in Iowa but settled in Boston where he spent most of his long life. He is predeceased by his beloved wife, Ikuko and four of his five siblings, Terrance Burns, Elitha Burns, Persis (Burns) Suddeth, and Briana Burns. He leaves behind his sister, Charity (Burns) Hirsch, his three children, Kenneth, Amelia, and Margaret and their spouses, and four beloved grandchildren: Julia, James, Elinor, and Brentan, and dear friends and relatives too many to count.

He lived in Iowa until his family moved to Garrison New York while he was still a child. He had many happy memories of his rural Iowa and New York childhood days, ice skating, playing in the outdoors and visiting Native American communities with his family.

Charles, his father, was the first of his family to attend university. His mother, Ethel, came from an educated family and was raised by her Victorian grandparents. As a result, education was highly valued in his family, and Paddy attended just one year of high school before entering the University of Chicago where he received a Liberal Arts degree before the age of 18. Padraic then took a premedical program at NYU while staying with his father, an editor living on the Lower East Side, both commuting to Garrison on the weekends to be with family. Padraic subsequently graduated as an MD from Yale Medical School.

As a young doctor, Padraic joined the Army as an officer in medical units in Yokohama Japan following the Korean War. The highlight of his life was meeting his future wife, Ikuko Kawai in Yamagata, Japan when he was on a ski vacation with friends. She filled his life with love, art, adventure, romance and family. His memory is cherished by all whose lives he touched and by the many he guided. Described as a “true gentleman,” Paddy’s genial and intrepid spirit are remembered by the legions of those who loved him.