I have known John since the early 1980’s. Before he became a full time book dealer, we drove the PAN showcases and materials across Pennsylvania to the various coin shows that PAN sponsored before settling in the Monroeville location. We lived about 15 minutes apart and spoke on the phone a few times per week. John had no close relatives that he had any contact with. He lived very modestly alone, thus his attraction to those of us in the numismatic community. In his view, we were his family.

He complained relentlessly about the struggle to load and unload his cargo van with the 4,000 pounds of books that he took to the many shows. His traveling library was a wonderful asset to have available at a coin show. He often said: “I don’t sell coins but sell knowledge.” It was a catchy phrase, but in reality that sale of knowledge translated into very little money to live on. He gave away vast amounts of that knowledge through his hours of conversation at his table or chatting on the phone.

John has passed intestate. Wayne Homren, one of John’s longtime friends and myself has begun the legal process to settle John’s affairs. His show inventory of books was carefully placed in storage through the kindness of the FUN board and officers. His body was removed from his hotel room where he peacefully passed and taken to the medical examiner’s office. We have been able to arrange for his cremation and will have a respectful dinner ceremony on Friday evening May 9th 2014 during the PAN Spring Coin Show. John had no life insurance. His cremation was done because of the generous donations already made by fellow collectors and friends.

We have established the John H. Burns Memorial Fund under the supervision of PAN. The initial purpose will be to offset the costs associated with John’s town house rent, book storage units, and other obligations until we are able to sell his book inventory and personal belongings to move forward with his estate. The money raised through the estate process will be repaid to the fund and allow us to continue with John’s memory through numismatic research grants, library donations, and the establishment of a traveling numismatic reference library set up at coin shows that would allow collectors to sit and relax at a table during the show to browse through reference books in a learning environment. It would be set with tables and chairs for the purpose of trading stories and knowledge, as was the typical scenario at John’s table. It is a novel concept but would still allow a numismatic literature component at the smaller shows. Below is a donation notice. Would you please consider a donation? Any amount no matter how small or large would be very much appreciated. I know that Big John would be humbled and honored by the outpouring of friends. Thank you, Pat McBride.

I think that having a modest sized numismatic library at each show is an excellent idea. This will encourage new collectors, who can be referred to a basic book when first thinking of buying a coin. It can also be used by existing collectors who might consider branching into a new area, perhaps building on a small seedling in state quarter accumulation to jump into something like ancients, when they first see a coin that is different than they are used to and is interesting to them. It would be a good source of income for a small group of YNs to monitor the library at each show (8 hours straight for a single librarian is probably too much for most kids). The hobby would benefit, and so would the dealers at the show.