Jean Whisnant Burns

CHARLOTTE - Jean Whisnant Burns, age 87 passed away on October 9, 2014. She was the daughter of the late Myrtle Mae Wagner Whisnant and Murphy Edgar Whisnant, Sr. Jean was a native of Charlotte but spent most of her younger years in Salisbury, NC, where she graduated from Borden High School in 1944. She attended WCU, a women's business college in Greensboro. After graduating from WCU, she moved to Charlotte to accept a position as private secretary to Joe L. Pleasants, manger of the appliance division of Allison Erwin Company. A number of years later, Mr. Pleasants left Allison Erwin Company to establish his own appliance distributing business and Jean accepted a position with his company as both a private secretary and bookkeeper. In 1961, Jean, along with her husband T. D. established and operated the first all-science retail hobby store in America. It was called Science Hobbies and was located on Central Avenue in Charlotte. For the first few years, she operated the business by herself with part time assistance by her husband until she employed a number of young high school students. After a few years, her husband joined the business full time. This family business served Charlotte and many other areas with products related to astronomy, biology, chemistry, mineralogy, paleontology and most of the other natural sciences. Their store became the number one source for materials for school assigned science projects throughout the region. After the sale of Science Hobbies in 1983, Jean and her husband established and operated their second business, Science and Nature Distributors in Indian Trail. This wholesale distributing business sold a large variety of science and nature related merchandise for resale at museums, planetariums and nature centers all over the US and in some foreign countries. After the sale of this business in 1989, they established their third business, Science Educational Products, a product development company that was liquidated in 2003. Jean was known to many of her customers and personal friends over the years as a "people person." She was always eager to listen to their problems and help in any way could. She was very health conscious and acquired a great deal of knowledge of prescription drugs along with many natural and herbal medicines. She was always eager to share this knowledge with her many friends. Through her assistance with organizing and sponsoring over 15 reunions for the crew of her husband's WW II ship, the USS LSM 299 and many other identical ships, Jean developed friendships with members of these numerous families all over the United States and considered them part of her own family.

Jean was a past member of St. John's Baptist Church, the Charlotte Gem and Mineral Club and the local Amateur Astronomy Club. She was also an active member of the Wadesboro High School Alumni Luncheon Group where her husband attended school. She is survived by her husband of 67 years, T. D. Burns and her brother, Murphy E. Whisnant, Jr., both from Charlotte. The family will receive friends from 11:00 AM to 12:00 PM on Monday October 13, 2014, at McEwen Funeral Service at Sharon Memorial Park, 5716 Monroe Road, Charlotte. A funeral service will be held following the visitation at 12:00 PM in the chapel. Interment will be held immediately following the service at Sharon Memorial Park in Charlotte. In lieu of flowers, it is suggested that memorials be sent to Novant Health Hospice, P.O. Box 33549, Charlotte, NC 18233, or Anson County Historical Society, 206 E., Wade Street, Wadesboro, NC 28170. The family would like to express their gratitude to Dr. Eva Agosc of the Novant Matthews Hospital for her unequaled professional and personal care for Jean. We would also like to thank the staff.and nurses of the hospital's hospice section for their excellent care during her extensive stay.

Published in Charlotte Observer on Oct. 12, 2014.