David Pressley Burns

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David Pressley Burns, 82, beloved husband of Pat McCoy Burns, died Saturday, July 29, 2017, at Palmetto Health Tuomey.

Born Nov. 24, 1934, in Clarendon County, he was the son of the late James Flovia Burns and Corrina Morris Burns. After graduating from Edmunds High School, David joined the Sumter County Sheriff's Office as a dispatcher. He left there to join the FBI in Washington, D.C. A short while later, he enlisted in the U.S. Army where he was recruited into the Defense Attache. That led him to work in the American Embassy in Ankara, Turkey; Cairo, Egypt; Vienna, Austria; and Tehran, Iran. After retiring in 1976, he went to work for The South Carolina Farm Bureau Insurance Company. He won the South Carolina Agent of the Year Award in 1986, the highlight of his 18-year career. He retired as the agency manager for Sumter County in 1995. Present and past affiliations included the Civitan Club, the 4-H Council, Manville Masonic Lodge No. 104, Board of Directors of the Samaritan House, The Friendship Men's Club, Oswego Hunting Club and the American Legion Post 15. He was a longtime member of Bethel United Methodist Church where he served his Lord in various capacities.

Survivors besides his wife of 62 years include his sons, Christopher David Burns (Nan) of North Augusta and Scott Jeffrey Burns of Columbia; his granddaughter, Kayla Stewart Burns of Greenville; his grandson, Jacob Thomas Burns of Clemson University; his sisters, Burnell Wood and Margaret Johnson, both of Sumter; and his brothers, Robert Burns of Florence and Eugene Burns (Rosemarie) and Charles Burns, both of Sumter; and his sister-in-law, Marie Burns of Oswego.

He was preceded in death by his parents; his sisters, Evelyn Lybrand and Olene Brown; his brother, Alvin Burns; four brothers-in-law; two sisters-in-law; and infant grandson Matthew David Burns.

A funeral service will be held at 2 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 1, 2017, at Bethel United Methodist Church in Oswego. The Rev. Jeremy Howell will be officiating. Burial will be in the church cemetery. A reception for all friends and family will immediately follow in the Family Life Center.

Pallbearers will include Ronnie Burns, Tony Burns, Mitchell Johnson, Jimmy Johnson, Wayne Lybrand and O'Neil McCoy.

Honorary pallbearers will include members of the John Edens Bible class, Jack Reyling, John Edward Outlaw and David Floyd.

The family will receive friends from 6 to 8 p.m. Monday at Elmore-Cannon-Stephens Funeral Home and Crematorium of Sumter.

Memorials may be made to Bethel United Methodist Church, 5575 Lodebar Road in Sumter.

Elmore-Cannon-Stephens Funeral Home and Crematorium of Sumter is in charge of the arrangements.