Date of Birth:
Friday, April 4, 1930
Date of Death:
Monday, July 17, 2023
Age:
93 years old

Philip C. Burnett

After 93 years of living life on his own terms, Philip Burnett, of rural Rochester, died on Monday, July 17^th, 2023, at St Marys Hospital after a very sudden decline.   He had struggled with various health issues on and off for many years but always recovered well, so his death came as a surprise to all.

Born April 4, 1930, in Mankato, MN, Phil is preceded in death by his parents, Elsa and Leo, his wife, Marilyn, sister, Carolyn, and his dog, Jake.  He is survived by his daughters, Mary (Matt) Brown, Jennifer Burnett, and Theresa (Fred) Richards; by his grandchildren Thomasin (Fionnuala), Nura, Theo, Freddy, Lauren, and Alex; and by his siblings, Richard, Paul, and Ann.

Dad grew up in Albert Lea, where he was referred to by neighbors as “the boy with the hair.”  His favorite memories of that time always revolved around his family, especially hiking and camping with his brother, Richard.  He was interested in chemistry from a young age and often told us the story of how one year, after receiving a chemistry set for Christmas, he took it to the basement and proceeded to concoct a poisonous gas that led to evacuation of the house and a visit from the fire department.

Dad’s passion was nature and he wanted to study Conservation Management when he went to college.   His parents and aunt, however, insisted that he focus on biology and chemistry instead, so he graduated with a BSc in those subjects in 1952 (St John’s University, Collegeville, MN).  He returned to St John’s as a Benedictine brother in 1954, where he was known as Brother Meinrad.   He spent three years there as a brother and loved monastic life, but teaching at the prep school was not his calling.  He longed to marry, have a family, and own land of his own.   As we prepared for college, Dad always told us to follow our hearts when deciding to what to study.

In 1960, Dad began his career in research and laboratory testing at Mayo Clinic.   He worked with bears and his research was published in several peer reviewed medical journals. He headed the Amino Acid Lab for many years.   He was so excited to retire in 1992 and spent the next years traveling and enjoying life.  He and Mom spent a summer camping in Alaska, several months in England driving the length of Great Britain, visiting Germany with his brother Paul, and many trips throughout the US with other family members.

He married the love of his life, Marilyn, in 1962, and together they raised us, their three daughters, on their property north of Rochester until Marilyn died in 2009.  Dad continued to live there with his dog, Jake, until late 2021, when he moved (temporarily, he insisted) to assisted living at Arbor Terrace in Rochester.   He missed the wild turkeys, rabbits, deer, squirrels, birds, raccoons, (and even a bear) that crossed his back yard, the sun shining through a western window and the silence of the countryside, but gradually he met and made friends with many residents and staff, until eventually admitting he was very happy there.

When Dad and Mom first moved into their house, it was quite rundown, and needed extensive work.   Not knowing how to build cabinets didn’t stop him from making his own first table saw and coming home from work to stay up late into the night cutting, sanding, and piecing together the cabinets that still line one long wall of the kitchen.

One thing we kids all remember from childhood is frequent walks to “The Point,” a walk through our fields and into the wooded area that overlooked Lake Zumbro.   Dad cut walking sticks for us to carry, and we’d sometimes have a picnic or build a small fire to roast hot dogs.  Then, we’d stare down the bluff to the water for a few minutes and head back to the house.

Dad would read to us every night when we were young, everything from Sherlock Holmes and the entire Little House series to Little Women and The Wind in the Willows.

Most of our childhood vacations were spent camping at Minnesota state parks or at Bluff Valley Campground near the house.   We hiked, roasted marshmallows on the campfire, and slept in sleeping bags on the hard ground of our big canvas tent.

In some things (having a family, wearing a tie to work, owning a home), Dad was very conventional.  However, he was most comfortable wearing his old plaid flannel shirts, smoking a pipe, growing a beard at a time when they were frowned upon.   He worked the fields on machinery that was last used in the first half of the 20^th century and insisted on doing things “the old-fashioned way.”

Dad was an artist.   Many, if not most, of his relatives and quite a few friends have one of his ink drawings hanging on their wall.   He and Mom always loved the book “The Little Prince,” so he carved a wooden figure of him, which stood on her dresser, always.  He also built furniture and birdhouses, as well as a jewelry box for Mom.

Dad had so many interests and passions.    First and foremost was conservation, especially of water, but also sustainable farming techniques and organic gardening.   He was a member of the Izaak Walton League for many years.  He also taught himself to play the banjo (kind of), brewed his own beer and root beer, made wine, and even distilled brandy one summer.

Throughout his life, Dad truly enjoyed helping others, both in donations to many charities and by helping people with anything they needed an extra hand for—as long as they did things The Right Way (his).

Dad loved tracing his family history; genealogy was an enormous part of his life—many of his vacations included visits to cemeteries to find headstones of long dead ancestors.  We can only wonder what photo developers thought of his vacation pictures—a few famous places, smiling faces and hundreds of old gravestones.  He traced his background to Scotland in the 1400’s but until the end could not find which of his direct ancestors left Crathes Castle near Aberdeen, Scotland.

In his later years, he focused a lot of his spare time on trigonometry, and worked complex problems as late into the night as he could stay awake.

He kept in touch with family as much as he could.   As his generation aged, it was often by phone, but family was so very important to him.

Dad frequently said, of his home where he lived for close to 60 years, “they’ll only take me out of here in a coffin.” When he moved to independent living accommodations at Arbor Terrace—for six months only, he claimed–he still intended to return home.   Unfortunately, he was unable to do so, though he continued to visit as often as possible until his death.  During his last year, he told me how much he loved Arbor Terrace and all the friends he made there, both residents and staff.  He continued to watch the animals wander through his yard via cameras set up on the porch but told us how happy he was to be surrounded by people, both staff and residents, that he cared so much about.  “This is my home now,” he said.  “I’m happy here.”

Until the day he died, Dad would sit outside smoking his pipe, watching the birds and feeding peanuts to the squirrels as often as the weather allowed.   On the back porch at home or on his favorite bench at Arbor Terrace, Dad was a familiar figure to all.

Dad cannot be summed up in just a few simple adjectives.   Although he was kind, gentle, loving, and often very stubborn, Dad was a man of integrity who always, always did his best to be a man who lived by his own strict principles.

He loved and was loved by many and will be missed by all.

We love you more you know, Dad.

Mare-Bear, Jeffer Pooh, and Tree

A Memorial Service will be held Monday, August 7, 2023, at 11:00am in the River Park Chapel at Macken Funeral Home. Visitation will be one hour prior to the service on Monday. Burial is in St. Marys Catholic Cemetery in Winona, MN.

Memorials preferred to Channel One Food Shelf, Dorothy Day, Elder Network (providing services to seniors and their families in Olmsted, Wabasha, and Winona counties), or animal charity of choice.