Ursula Karin Burns

Ursula Burns passed away on September 4, 2018, as a result of a fall in her Fairfield home.

Ursula was born in Ulm, Germany, on November 3, 1940. An only child, she was very close with her parents, Hubert and Emma Muss. Together, they navigated the immense challenges that ravaged Germany during World War II. She spent her teen years in post-war Germany listening to Louis Armstrong and excelling academically; she graduated as the valedictorian of her high school class.

She joined Pan Am as a stewardess in the early 1960s, moving first to Berlin and then to New York, where she met her future husband, Robert Burns, a United Airlines pilot. They married in 1965 at the height of the golden age of air travel and traveled around the world. They lived in Manhattan until they moved to Westport, Connecticut, in 1968. They soon built a home in Fairfield where they would raise their children, Michele and Thomas, and live out their lives.

Ursula pursued her undergraduate and graduate degrees in psychology when her children entered school. She worked as a school psychologist and guidance counselor in the Fairfield, Bethel, and other local school systems for more than 30 years. She loved working with children.

Ursula led an active life. She enjoyed daily walks and playing tennis, swimming, and golfing at the Patterson Club. She loved spending time with her many friends, especially at Sasco Beach. She was an avid reader and theater-goer, and she liked to travel, frequently visiting her children's families on Cape Cod and in Seattle and going on numerous European trips.

She is survived by her children, Michele Burns and Thomas Burns; their spouses, Lori Mudge and Whitney Burns; her five grandchildren, Jack, Julian, Ellie, Gabriel, and Chloe, whom she loved dearly; and her golden doodle, Zoe, who provided great comfort in recent years. She was preceded in death by her husband Robert, whom she mourned deeply since his passing in 2013. Her family and friends find solace in knowing that she is peacefully reunited with him.

Services will be held at Saint Luke Church in Westport at 11 a.m. on Friday, September 14.

Ursula's family is grateful for the love and support of her many Fairfield friends, especially in the years following Bob's death. Their companionship was immensely meaningful to her.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Fidelco Guide Dog Foundation at www.fidelco.org.

For information or to sign an online register please visit www.spearmillerfuneralhome.com