Harmon Burns
Harmon E. “Buzz” Burns, vice chairman of Franklin Resources Inc., a global investment management company headquartered in San Mateo, and part owner of the San Francisco Giants, died of heart failure Nov. 8 at his home in Atherton. He was 61.Mr. Burns was a member of the original ownership group organized in 1992 to prevent the Giants from moving to Florida. When others left the group, he acquired their interest and later became owner of the single largest stake in the team.
Growing up and playing all sports contributed to Mr. Burns’ love of professional sports. His involvement with the Giants fulfilled a boyhood dream, say family members.
Mr. Burns was born in Hartford, Connecticut, and traveled the world with his parents, Air Force Brigadier General Harmon E. and Judith Burns. He earned a degree in business administration at George Washington University in 1969.
For two years he worked at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission before moving to California.
His wife, Sue, joked that his reason for moving to the West was so that he could watch Giants legend Willie Mays, also of Atherton, play, say family members.
He joined Franklin Resources in 1973 when it acquired Winfield & Co., where Mr. Burns was assistant secretary.
While running the legal compliance department at Franklin, Mr. Burns put himself through law school. Later he was named chief operating officer in charge of all administration and operations.
Throughout his career with Franklin, he held many positions, including chief operating officer in charge of all administration and operations, and secretary and vice president. In 1991, Mr. Burns was elected to the board of directors.
Beside his wife, Susan of Atherton, Mr. Burns’ survivors include his daughters, Trina and Tori.
A funeral Mass was held Nov. 13 at St. Pius Church in Redwood City. The family prefers memorials to the Giants Community Fund or the St. Pius Building Fund.
Charles ‘Stuart’ McPherson
The life of Charles “Stuart” McPherson of Sonoma will be remembered by friends and family at a gathering in the Golden Gate Room at Fort Mason in San Francisco on Dec. 15. He died at his home Nov. 5 after a battle with cancer. He was 82.Mr. McPherson was born in San Francisco and attended UC Berkeley. He enlisted in the Army Air Corps, where he became a first lieutenant. He was a navigator of B-24 missions over Europe from his base in Norwich, England. After the war, he graduated from UC Santa Barbara.
During his business career, he focused on many phases of real estate on the Midpeninsula, including sales, development, management, finance and investment, say family members.
He lived with his wife, Barbara, and their three children in the newly established town of Woodside, where he was a member of the first planning commission and organized the local Boy Scouts.
In later years, he had a second family of two more children with his wife, Jan, in Saratoga and La Selva Beach.
He had a passion for travel and adventure and spent much time in Koloa, Kauai, where he owned a condominium. While there in 1991, he married his longtime friend, Karen. They eventually moved to Sonoma in 2003 to be near family.
Mr. McPherson is survived by his wife, Karen, of Sonoma; daughters Libby Mann of Woodside and Saundra Manilla of San Francisco; sons Stuart of Alamo, Cory of Sonoma, and Steven of Wheaton, Illinois; stepson Brady Berg of San Francisco; twin sister Bonnie Stafford of Woodside; and nine grandchildren.
Contributions in his memory may be made to the Sonoma Valley Hospital or Valley of the Moon Hospice.
Ellis M. Kirkham
Services will be held at 1 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 25, at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1105 Valparaiso Ave. in Menlo Park, for Ellis M. Kirkham.Ms. Kirkham died Nov. 9 at the age of 96. Although a longtime resident of San Francisco, she lived for long periods at the home of her daughter, Judy Stillman, of Portola Valley.
Ms. Kirkham was born in Salt Lake City, Utah. She attended Mills College and received her bachelor’s degree from Georgetown University in Washington, D.C.
In 1929, she married Francis Robison Kirkham in the Salt Lake Temple. Mr. Kirkham was a former partner in the law firm, Pillsbury, Madison & Sutro, and general counselor to Stanford Oil Co. (Chevron) of California.
Ms. Kirkham is survived by her four children, James F. “Kirk” Kirkham of San Francisco, Ellis Elizabeth “Judy” K. Stillman of Portola Valley, Katherine K. Movius (a former teacher at Phillips Brooks School) of San Francisco, and Eugene R. Kirkham of St. Helena; 13 grandchildren; and 26 great-grandchildren. Her husband of 67 years, Francis R. “Czar” Kirkham, died in 1996.
Evening visitation will be held at Roller Hapgood & Tinny Funeral Home, 980 Middlefield Road in Palo Alto, from 5 to 7 p.m. Friday, Nov. 24. Burial will take place in Lehi, Utah.
The family prefers donations to a favorite charity.
Patricia Berry
Patricia F. Berry, a resident of Menlo Park since 1965, died Nov. 10 at the age of 79.Ms. Berry was born in Michigan. She was employed as a cytotechnologist (one who studies and evaluates cells) by Stanford University Medical Center for 28 years, retiring in 1992.
She is survived by her daughter, Susan F. Berry of Menlo Park. Her husband, Rex Berry, died in 1999. Private family services have been held.
