James Joseph Burns passed away after a brief illness on September 7, 2026. Born in Providence, he was the son of Rachel M. Levesque and James E. Burns. He was the beloved brother of the late Lorraine Decesaris and the late Regina Blair and her late husband John. He was adored by his nieces and nephews.

After an honorable discharge from the US Airforce, Jim spent 14 years as a firefighter with the Providence Fire Department. He was sworn in as firefighter as he lay in a hospital bed after falling from a ladder on a collapsing building while fighting a fire as a cadet. During his time at the fire department, Jim became a Flight Instructor and Charter Pilot at North Central Airport in Smithfield, RI. In 1976, Jim left the fire department to become a fulltime Copilot with Fram Aviation, the flight division of the Fram Corporation. He would go on to become Chief Pilot and Director of Flight Operations at Fram Aviation. After several years with Fram, Jim was hired by Eastern Airlines as a flight engineer on the Boeing 727. He rose to the rank of Captain on the 727 while at Eastern.

After Eastern ceased operations in 1991 Jim flew part time for Textron Corporation. In 1993, He was hired by CVS Health as Captain to fly their Citation 10, the fastest nonmilitary jet in the world. Captain Burns as he became known to most everyone flew CVS executives and clients all over North and South America, Europe, and the Caribbean.

Captain Burns was the recipient of many commendations and awards over the course of his 50+ year aviation career. His most proud achievement was being recognized in 2022 with the Federal Aviation Administration’s Wright Brothers Master Pilot Award. The Master Pilot Award is the FAA’s most prestigious recognition.

Away from the cockpit, Jim was a certified ski instructor at Mount Snow in Vermont. He was a Providence Police Reserve Officer. He held the rank of Major in the Rhode Island Civil Air Patrol, a branch of the US Airforce. In retirement, Jim continued mentoring pilots. He loved teaching instrument flying. He was a member of the Quiet Birdmen. He enjoyed spending time on his boat, the JB & Water, and flying throughout the northeast on his Cirrus SR20. Without fail, he was the only one laughing at the jokes he’d tell. He’ll be missed.

Funeral service Monday, September 14, 2026 at Noon at the Urquhart – Murphy Funeral Home, 800 Greenwich Ave., Warwick UNDER THE DIRECTION OF THE HILL SKEFFINGTON FUNERAL HOME OF EAST GREENWICH. Burial will be private. Visitation will be held prior to the service from 10:00 am – 12:00 pm. In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to the Providence Permanent Fireman’s Relief Association, PO Box 28054 North Station, Providence, RI 02908.

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