E. Burns Apfeld

July 25, 1928 - March 16, 2018

E. Burns Apfeld passed peacefully into the arms of his Lord and Savior on Friday, March 16, 2018, at his home in Black Wolf, Wisconsin. Burns was born on July 25, 1928, in Hamilton, Ohio. He served in the U.S. Army from 1946-1947, and shortly thereafter enrolled at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, from which he graduated in 1950. The next year he married JoAnne (Holbrock), whom he had known since high school and who also had just graduated from Miami. After serving in the Army again from 1950-1952, Burns began a lifelong career as a scrap broker. Burns and JoAnne lived variously in New York City; Hamilton and Cincinnati, Ohio; Ridgewood, New Jersey; and Rockford, Illinois, before eventually settling in Black Wolf, just south of Oshkosh, in 1975. Wherever Burns lived, he was active in his profession, church, and community. He was, among other things, past president of the Wisconsin Chapter of the Institute of Scrap Iron and Steel and served on various national scrap iron industry boards. He was President of the Holy Family Parish school board in Rockford, Illinois, as well as a member of the Christian Family Movement and the Foundation for International Cooperation. He and JoAnne were active in Marriage Ministry talks in both Rockford and Oshkosh for over 35 years. He was the first President of the Oshkosh Learning in Retirment program ("LIR"), helping in its creation and early growth and avidly participating until shortly before his death. He and JoAnne also actively supported the various parishes to which they belonged (most recently, Most Blessed Sacrament) as well as the Jesuit Retreat House. They were also long-time members of the Edgewater Dinner Club. Almost by accident, when Burns and JoAnne moved to the Oshkosh area they purchased a home on shores of Lake Winnebago. That proved to be a happy accident, indeed, allowing Burns to take up sailing and providing a setting in which they could dispense their endless hospitality to friends and family. They especially enjoyed hosting a get-together for friends from Rockford just before each annual retreat at the Jesuit Retreat House. But all were welcome to the Apfeld household. Burns is survived by JoAnne, his loving wife of 67 years, as well as by their three children and their spouses, Michael (Mary Ann), Patrick (Kristine), and Sarah (Jon), and by their six grandchildren, Brendan, Jordan, Bridget, Luke, Grace, and Christopher. Burns was immensely proud of all of them. Burns was preceded in death by his father Edwin, his mother Louise (Burns), and his two sisters, Michaela (Dzurisin) and Sr. Justine Apfeld, S.M.R. Burns's family wishes to extend its heartfelt thanks to various caregivers at both Aurora Medical Center and Evergreen Retirement Community, who professionally and lovingly attended to Burns during several illnesses over the last year. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at The Most Blessed Sacrament Parish, St. Peter's worship site, at 435 High Avenue in Oshkosh on Tuesday, March 20, at 11:00 a.m. Visitation will take place at the church from 10 a.m. until the time of Mass. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the Jesuit Retreat House, 4800 Fahrnwald Road, Oshkosh, WI 54902.