Obituary Notices: Denny Burns, Daniel W. Wise, G. H. White

Denny Burns, 78, died April 20. He was vice president and co-owned Memphis-based Patton-Tully Marine with his wife of 52 years, Virginia Burns, who served as chief executive officer.

Their sons Chris and Heath also worked for the company, with Chris serving as superintendent of the marine construction crews and Heath asPatton-Tully’s general manager.

The company was founded as a venture of Anderson-Tully Company in 1906, primarily to transport logs from the company’s roughly 700,000 acres of timberland along the river. The Burnses bought the company in 2007 from Forestland Group, an independent timberland investment management firmand changed the name to Patton-Tully Marine LLC.

Patton-Tully is based on Presidents Island and grew under the Burnses’ ownership, increasing both marine assets and the employee base. It focuses on the installation of new docks and repair of existing docks and mooring structures for public and private entities.

Denny Burns was born March 6, 1948 and was the son of James Alan Burns and Velma Vouhre Burns and brother of Kenneth “Kenny” Wayne Burns.

“He carried forward the values instilled in him by his family — hard work, humility and a quiet strength that spoke louder than words ever could,” according to his official obituary.

Outside of work, he enjoyed spending time with his grandchildren, along with fishing, deer hunting and duck hunting with family members and watching Ole Miss football games and tailgating with his family.

Visitation was scheduled from noon to 2 p.m. April 28 at Memphis Funeral Home and Memorial Gardens, 3700 North Germantown Parkway, Bartlett, Tenn., followed by the funeral form 2 to 2:40 p.m. and a committal service from 3 to 3:30 p.m. in the memorial gardens at the same address.

Daniel W. Wise died March 19 at his home near Anniston, Mo. He was one day shy of his 89th birthday.

Wise began his lifelong career on the river shortly after graduating from Illmo/Fornfelt/Ancell (Scott City) High School, joining Cargill as a young man eager to learn the trade. Over the next five decades, he built a respected career as both a chief engineer and port engineer, working with companies including Huffman Towing, ARTCO and Metco/AEP, and later serving as a trusted consultant for Crounse Corporation. He retired in 2009.

White was preceded in death by his daughter, Amy. He is survived by his wife of 63 years, Ada Rahe, and three children. His daughter, Lori, followed a path in engineering as an aircraft engineer with Boeing. His oldest son, Doug, serves as a captain with Marquette Transportation. His youngest son, Jason, carries on the tradition as a towboat engineer.

“Known for his generosity and expertise, Dan was always willing to lend a hand or share his knowledge with anyone facing a towboat challenge,” his family said. “He was not only respected for his work but deeply valued for his willingness to help others succeed.”

G.H. White died April 15 in Houston, Texas. He was 87 years old and had a lengthy career as a marine broker.

He was a loving father and grandfather, an avid reader and enjoyed tinkering with equipment and trading it. He had a special fondness for John Deere tractors.

“G.H. White’s life was a testament to hard work, wisdom and, above all, love,” his official obituary stated. “Though he has passed, the values he lived by and the memories he created will continue to inspire all who knew him. He will be deeply missed and fondly remembered as a devoted family man, a successful professional and a kind soul who touched many lives.”

White was preceded in death by his parents, Joe Havron White and Ruth Inez Jones, and his brother, Joe Luther White. He is survived by his wife, Joyce White, along with Wes White, Carman White, Cole White and Paige White and many nieces, nephews and extended family.

A homecoming service was planned for April 25 in Cleveland, Texas, with a visitation April 24.