John Joseph Burnside

April 28, 1938 - November 10, 2016

Obituary For John Joseph Burnside

John Joseph Burnside, age 78, passed away on Thursday November 10th, 2016. He was born on April 28, 1938, in Belfast, Northern Ireland to the late Richard and Gertrude Burnside.

He is survived by his beloved wife Margo, his son Warren and daughter-in-law Sarah and grandson Alex, his son Timothy, his daughter Nicole and her husband Steven.

John enjoyed an illustrious 26 year career at Nortel. In those 26 years he was instrumental in the rollout of Nortel's digital telecommunications, ultimately rising to the title of Director of Engineering in RTP. 'The ol' bird', as he was sometimes referred, had a reputation for 'shaking things up' when the situation demanded.

John also spent many years living in Japan, where he was a key resource in establishing Nortel's systems in that nation. 'John-san' had a similar reputation there for making things happen there as he did everywhere he visited. His karaoke impression of the Irish favorite 'McNamara's Band' edited into 'Nakamura's Band' likely left an indelible mark on Japanese culture.

Upon retirement, John busied himself with family and friends, and making more friends. Keen interests in international travel, current events, history, sports, literature and fitness occupied much of his time. Always sharing great stories and a good joke or three, John could be relied upon to keep the party rolling and the laughter roaring.

John will be sorely missed by all who knew and admired him. Please join us in a celebration of his rich and wonderful life. As he would certainly expect, great stories and a good joke or three are highly encouraged.

The visitation will be held on Friday, November 18, 2016 from 6 pm to 8 pm at the Renaissance Funeral Home located at 7615 Six Forks Rd, Raleigh, NC 27615.

Services

18 Nov

Reception

06:00 PM - 08:00 PM

Renaissance Funeral Home & Cremation Tribute Center 7615 Six Forks Rd Raleigh, NC 27615 Get Directions »

by Obituary Assistant

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Condolences

September 01, 2020

Renee

My sincere condolences to all the Burnside family on the passing of John. I enjoyed working with John at Nortel and remember how he used his wit and humor to brighten up the workplace and dull meetings. He could certainly be relied upon to be the life of the party with his jokes and sense of humor. I can only imagine he is telling a few of his favorite jokes in Heaven these days. May you be comforted in knowing that John brightened the lives of those who knew him in a special and lasting way.
September 01, 2020

carol craft

I remember when I first met John in Silver Sneakers at Healthtrax...He stood out among everone in the class and I thought to myself 'I really have to meet this man'...Well not only did I meet him, we became good friends as I did with his lovely wife Margo...I remember when Margo went to Ireland I went to pick him up every day to take him to the club..I loved his company, he was a gem and so wickedly funny...I also had the pleasure of sharing Thanksgiving Dinner with he and his family several years ago..So many beautiful memories, I will miss him always!:blue_heart: Carol Craft
September 01, 2020

Kathleen Laphen

Lit a candle in memory of John Joseph Burnside
September 01, 2020

Stefan Beittel

To Margo and the rest of the family... I did not hear the news about Johns' passing until today when i arrived for my morning workout at Healthtrax. I can't even begin to tell you how sad this made me feel. It's like I've lost one of my very own family members. John has been such a special part of my world at the club (and in Raleigh) over the last almost decade (?) He was such a unique character. I will miss his friendship, his smile, his laugh, his charisma, his love of all things political, his raunchy jokes. I will just MISS HIM. And there will never be anybody quite like HIM again... He was a diamond in the rough. For some reason though... I clearly hear him in my mind's eye telling us all some funny joke about an Irish "bloke" who meets a German "mench" in a bar... Not sure where it would go from there, but I'll wait to hear the conclusion until I see him again. My heart goes out to you, Margo, to Warren, Timothy and Nicole and to the rest of his family. May you hold fast to the wonderful memories of a truly remarkable, one-of-a-kind man! If there is ANYTHING I can do... please reach out. Yours, truly, and with the sincerest condolences, Stefan Beittel, Raleigh, NC
September 01, 2020

Eileen Mahr

John was a great guy who always had a joke ready to share. He had a love of politics and I enjoyed listening and discussing various issues with him curbside. I know that Margo, his family, and the neighborhood will miss him dearly. Rest in Peace John, we will always remember you. Eileen Mahr
September 01, 2020

jerry finnen

John's next-door neighbor is going to miss him dearly. When the Finnen dog Wally would come to visit, it was just fine for him to have the run of the house, and when the house was all inspected, Wally would sit next to John on the sofa.When we tried to get Wally off the sofa, John just told us to leave Wally alone....he was fine.