Vale Bob Burns (Fishburn)

Vale Bob Burns (Fishburn) 

By Ken Vessey

Bob sadly passed away on June 3 2014, aged 70 after a number of weeks in the Intensive Care Unit at St George Hospital suffering severe chest infections.
 
Bob was a natural sportsman who grew up on the streets of Paddington playing cricket, Aussie Rules and naturally rugby league, which was his real passion. He represented NSW High Schools in both cricket and rugby league in 1958 before moving onto a distinguished career playing lock/second row in many premiership winning teams for Chelsea United RLF Club in the strong South Sydney Juniors competition from 1958 – 1966, where he was renowned for his fearless tackling, ball distribution and toughness in never leaving the field of play, even when injured.
 
He was a highly successful plumber and worked in that profession until 1988 when he was involved in a horrific work accident in which a fellow worker was killed and Bob’s right leg was badly broken. Excessive surgery and bone grafting allowed for his eventual recovery and return to work only to suffer further breakages to his right leg.
 
Subsequently he contracted ‘Golden Staph’ which resulted in his right leg and hip bone being amputated in 2002. Following a lengthy recovery period in hospital Bob was moved to the Salvation Army Aged Care Centre, Arncliffe, where he had resided ever since.
 
With his incredible resilience, Bob wasted no time and got on with life without complaining. Since 2010 he has been an active member/attendee at all of the functions held by the Chelsea Old Mates (Bob was really the conduit for the formation of this group that cares for and assists friends/colleagues from the Chelsea United RLF Club and other Clubs) and enjoyed meeting all of his friends and ex playing mates, who include many of his school mates from Paddington Junior Technical College way back in the 1950s.
 
The Men of League Foundation in recent years has provided valuable welfare assistance to Bob through the granting of an electronic wheelchair plus a laptop computer to improve his lifestyle.
 
Bob’s never give in attitude will always be remembered by his mates, who certainly will never forget him.