I received a call from Terry Brown, TD's home health care provider on March 21, 2016 inviting my bride and myself to a surprise birthday party for TD Burns on April 22, 2016 at the K & W Cafeteria  located at 8652 Pineville-Matthews Road at 1:00 P.M., of which I certainly accepted the invitation.  Terry said she tried to get up with Sue Newton but was unable to do so and I sent Sue an email, whereas Sue got up with Terry and Terry asked Sue to plan the event.  Sue "took the bull by the horns", planed and coordinated the surprise birthday party for TD which was a success thanks to all the hard work implementing her plans, ideas, creative talents and using her own personal resources. 

GOING BACK IN TIME TO THE EARLY TO MID 1970s

When I had my musical instrument repair and mail order business from 1969 thru 1978, I had the pleasure of meeting TD and Jean Burns at their business, Science Hobbies located on Central Avenue in Charlotte, NC.  I purchased special hard to find glues, craft wood like Balsa and other supplies used in my part-time business from them during the time I operated my business.  Their business was the first one of its kind in the United States and they catered to the various institutions and individuals needing those special materials and supplies of which they had a tremendous assortment of equipment and supplies on inventory.  Both TD and Jean were people persons taking the time to answer any questions of any technical nature and definitely knew their products and a pleasure to do business with them!

After selling my own business sometime in 1979, I continued to do some custom musical instrument inlay work on commission and purchased supplies from Science Hobbies after TD and Jean sold that operation and they formed two more companies during the following years. 

I lost contact with TD and Jean after they sold Science Hobbies in 1983 until I joined the Wadesboro High School Alumni website of which TD Burns was a regular contributor.  I was so impressed with TD's writings about various things and got in contact with him and kindled a friendship via email and telephone.  My bride and myself visited with TD at his home last year on September 9, 2015 after the passing of his lovely wife Jean the year before and one of the most impressive and memorable visits we have ever had.   TD is a wealth of information about mineralogy, astronomy, paleontology, chemistry, biology, etc., and those that know him are aware that he has his own roof top observatory with a 10 inch telescope anchored from the basement foundation.  TD and myself were also more or less bonded by the fact that our family relatives worked for the Singleton Silk Mill here in Wadesboro, NC back in the early 1900s and we both as youngsters have personally been inside the ole Silk Mill which was later burned and/or torn down to make room for a Housing Development.  TD was present and an eye witness to my Grandmother Della Coley's first son, Joseph Faulkner who was a passenger in an automobile accident and he died later at the local hospital as a result of the accident which happened on August 25, 1934 at the culvert at Mimosa Terrance and North Washington Street adjacent to the Woodman of the World Park of which TD was in the park playing that tragic day being 8 years old.  I have the entire event as witnessed by TD and documented in my Memories From The Past short story.  TD has graciously donated enough plastic binders for my short stories booklets to last me a lifetime and given myself technical information about creating/printing and binding my short stories, etc., of which I am very thankful and grateful.  Having knowledge is wonderful but TD has the willingness to share that knowledge with others and that is what sets TD apart from the rest!   

As usual, I got a little side tracked there but wanted to give a background of how I come to know TD Burns.

BIRTHDAY PARTY

Below is a pix of the K & W Cafeteria as viewed from the Pineville-Matthews Road:

I arrived after 12:00 noon and Kathy Adcock was getting a couple birthday signs in place at the front entrance with Sue Newton and others working on one end of the large dinning room where our party group would be sitting.  My bride aka Joyce wasn't able to attend due to medical problems and certainly was hoping she would be able to attend TD's birthday celebration.  

BIRTHDAY BOY ARRIVES

TD was definitely surprised and had a good grin going too!

After everyone had arrived and was seated, Sue Newton, Luncheon Moderator had yours truly to recite Salutation To The Dawn, bless our food and we headed to the serving line. 

As evidenced by the food selection, fantastic and courteous service, it is no small wonder that this is one of TD's favorite restaurants to dine at.  The entire staff loves and adores TD and treat him like royalty for sure!  

After everyone got their food, it was back to the dining room and things got quiet just for a while.

Picture of Terry Brown and her family:

Sue Newton had her sound system set-up and there was a life size cut-out of Marilyn Monroe of which she planed to have Marilyn sing Happy Birthday for TD but there was some kind of technical last minute glitch in the system and Sister Sarah did the Happy Birthday singing to TD.

That was a treat to hear Sister Sarah sing and we all displayed some serious grins and laughter on that one.

Those that desired to express how much TD and his wife Jean had meant to them over the years and their influence on their personal lives, had a chance to do so and there were some great testimonies given.  Many of the K & W Cafeteria staff spoke highly of TD and what he meant to them.  I got so wrapped up in listing to those wonderful heart given testimonies that I failed to take some of their pictures.

Sue Newton read her own "Days of Your Life" tribute to TD with all raising their glass to him at the end.  The hyperlink file above is in .PDF file format.

After the testimonies were given, TD told how much each one meant to him and "this was the grandest and one of the best days of his life."

In closing, I am so glad I was invited to TD's 90th birthday party and received a tremendous blessing from the friendship and fellowship.  To quote one of my favorite sayings, "Two of the Greatest Ships that ever Sailed, Friendship and Fellowship."  I will ascertain how many attended the birthday party but it should be in the neighborhood of 30.  I certainly wish TD many more birthdays to come and TD's life is an example for all of us to emulate; Live Today, The Best That You Can.  

God richly bless each and everyone one of you and a very special Thank You to Sue Newton for all the planning, hard work and personal resources in making TD's 90th Birthday Party such a huge success.

"Yesterday is History, Today is a Gift and Tomorrow is a Mystery!"

Exodus 20:12 KJV - Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.

Web published by Bill aka Mickey Porter on 04-23-16.