Obituaries

Obituary: David Sterner Burnside, Longtime Member of Elmhurst Artists' Guild

A celebration of his life will be held Thursday, June 20, at Elmhurst Christian Reformed Church in Elmhurst.

David Sterner Burnside, 80, of Elmhurst, passed away March 15. He was born in Narberth, Penn., to Wayne and Catherine (Neamand) Burnside.

A graduate of the Philadelphia Museum School of Art, now the University of the Arts, Mr. Burnside was a prolific, self-employed artist. His career began in illustration and branched into large-scale murals, as well as custom installations for banks, restaurants and libraries across the country. His favorite medium was watercolor. He was a member of the Elmhurst Artists Guild for many years.

Over the decades, his art received notice at various art shows and contests in the Chicago and Philadelphia areas. In 1972, Mr. Burnside’s design for a commemorative Illinois state coin was selected from a field of 500 applicants. Based on the 1857 Tousle Headed Lincoln portrait, the medallion was produced in sterling by the Franklin Mint. In 1985 the City of Elmhurst commissioned a series of Elmhurst landmark illustrations, which were compiled into a calendar and sent to each household that year.

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Mr. Burnside was preceded in death by his parents, and his brothers, Dan and Fred.

He is survived by his wife, Shirley (Gordon) Burnside; his children, Sarah, Lee (Lisa Vig) and Peter (Tamara Studniski); his grandchildren, Grant, Max and Calvin Wiersum, Alicia, Ginger, Ross and Christopher Burnside; his brother, John (Lynda); his sisters-in-law, Doris and Mary Love Burnside; and many nieces and nephews.

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A celebration of Mr. Burnside’s life will be held at 7 p.m. June 20 at Elmhurst Christian Reformed Church, 149 W. Brush Hill Road. 


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