- Date Of Birth: February 19, 1920
- Date Of Death: June 7, 2016
- State: Illinois
William K. (Bernie) Burnside, 96, of Centralia passed away at 7:40 p.m. Tuesday, June 7, 2016 at Centralia Manor. He was born Feb. 19, 1920 in rural Maquon, Illinois.
Bernie was the son of Robert Roy and Janet (Keeling) Burnside. He married Sabina R. (Matthews) Sept. 18, 1958 in Belleville, Illinois, and she preceded him in death on March 16, 2006. He is survived by a son, Robert “Bob” Burnside and wife Joanie (Gwillim); and three grandchildren: Rebecca (Burnside) Lierly, William, and Mark, all of California.
In addition to his wife, he was preceded in death by his parents; his brother, Robert; and sister, Elizabeth Cattron.Mr. Burnside attended Purdue University and was a mechanical engineer. He was a member of the team that developed the high horsepower Corsair fighter plane.
Upon his brother’s death in WWII, he returned to his father’s farm in Fairview, Illinois. During this time he married Sabina, a devout Christian lady, who was in inspiration and a big influence on his walk with Jesus Christ.
He is a member of the Pleasant View Free Will Baptist Church, and has participated in various ministries, including nursing home visitation.In 1987, Mr. Burnside sold the farm in Fairview and moved to California, but moved back to Illinois the following year as the climate there was not kind to Sabina.
In July 1989, he began working for the Gilbert family (now Die Cutters, Inc.) as their design engineer. This became a very close relationship, with a deep love for one another to this day.
