Stanley Burnham, age 99, passed away on December 17, 2023 in San Saba, Texas. He was born on July 5, 1924 in Mills County, Texas, to Leslie and Myrtle Burnham on a ranch on the banks of the Colorado River across from the mouth of the San Saba River. He lived there and was influenced by the river until of high school age.
Visitation will be from 1:00pm – 2:00pm Wednesday, December 20, 2023 at Blaylock Funeral Home Chapel in San Saba, a Funeral Service will follow at 2:00pm, Wednesday, December 20, 2023 at Blaylock Funeral Home Chapel in San Saba, with Pastor Tom Brand officiating. Interment will be at the San Saba City Cemetery. Arrangements are under the direction of Blaylock Funeral Home of San Saba.
Stan and his three brothers and one sister attended a one room school at Shaw Bend, but the family moved to San Saba when they were in high school. Stan played football and other sports for the San Saba Armadillos until he graduated in 1942. After graduating from San Saba High School, Stanley volunteered for service in the United States Navy, serving in both Europe and the Pacific in World War II and was discharged in 1946. After four years of service he began his college education at John Tarleton State University and then transferred to Daniel Baker College of Southwestern University in Brownwood where he received his Bachelor of Science degree. It was here that he met his wife, Mildred Mendenhall. They were married in 1948 and graduated together in 1949.
He coached and taught in high schools in Rusk, Iredell, and Mineral Wells, before joining the faculty at Ranger Junior College in 1954 as Athletic Director and Associate Professor of Biology. In 1956 he joined the faculty of McMurry College in Abilene, Texas, where he coached basketball, served as an Associate Professor and Chairman of the Biology Department before going to the University of Texas for advanced study. During these years of coaching and teaching, his three children were born.
Stan earned his Master’s Degree in Health Education in 1960 and his Doctorate in Health and Physical Education in 1965 at The University of Texas. As part of his graduate studies specializing in physical rehabilitation, Stan was assigned to work with a young coach named Darrell Royal and the Texas Longhorns. In 1960 he began a 14 year association with the University of Texas as a member of the Health and Physical Education faculty, as Chairman of the Department of Physical Instruction, as Associate Director of Education for the Health Professions and as the Coordinator of the Athletic Medical Program with the Texas Longhorns in the years that Darryl Royal was coaching the Longhorns to a national championship.
In 1975 Dr. Burnham accepted the position of Dean of Arts and Sciences at San Jose State University in San Jose, California. Subsequently, he served as Vice President for Academic Affairs at Northern Montana College, Havre, Montana, and President of the Pacific Coast Health Science Center, San Francisco, California.
He returned to Austin, Texas to retire in 1986 but soon found himself serving as the Director of Energy, Housing and Economic Assistance for the Texas Department of Community Affairs. In 1987 he was appointed by Governor Clements as the Director of Administration for the new Texas Department of Commerce. He retired again in 1991 and moved back to his hometown of San Saba, Texas.
Stanley Burnham was an active member of the United Methodist Church for most of his life and a participant in numerous community organizations in each of the communities in which he lived; Rotary Club, The United Way, Easter Seal Society of Travis County and The American Heart Association. He served on the Board of Directors for Holy Cross Hospital in Austin, San Jose Hospital and Health Center in San Jose, California, Texas Ex-Students for Travis County, and the Capitol Area Rehabilitation Center. He was an authority in the field of sports medicine and physical rehabilitation and held many leadership positions in related professional organizations. He served on several national and state commissions and advisory boards and was listed in Who’s Who in America.
His years of retirement in San Saba were no different. He was very active in the Methodist Church, serving as Chair of Trustees for several years and teaching a Men’s Bible Class for many years. He was active in the Historical Commission of San Saba County where his main focus was to inventory the many cemeteries in the county, large and small. He began the project in 2007 and when he stopped in 2015 over 69 cemetery inventories had been placed on the shelves of Rylander Library for the use of the community. He knew that an inventory of a cemetery is more than just a listing of people who have died and are buried at a certain location. San Saba’s rich history is buried in the many old cemeteries scattered over our county.
Stan was a loving husband, father and grandfather and a friend to all who knew him.
He was preceded in death by his parents, one daughter, Patricia Ann Burnham, and three brothers, Don Burnham, Paris Burnham and Leslie Edward Burnham and one sister, Thelma Burnham Janes.
He is survived by his wife of 75 years, Mildred (Millie) Burnham of San Saba, Texas, his son and daughter-in-law, Ron and Dina Burnham of Red River, New Mexico, daughter, Diana Manning, of Frederick, Maryland, and by three grandsons Coleman Manning and his wife Amanda of Frederick, Maryland, Austin Manning and his wife, Dani of Portland, Oregon and Shaun Davis and his wife, Michelle, of Loveland, Colorado, and by two Great Grandsons, Wylie Manning and Lucas Stanley Manning of Frederick, Maryland. He is also survived by his sister-in-law, Martha Burnham of San Saba, Texas, as well as several nieces and nephews.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Red River Fire Department EMS, P. O. Box 1020, Red River, New Mexico, 87558, where his son and daughter-in-law, Ron and Dina Burnham, are long-time paramedics, or to the donor’s favorite charity.