Joshua Ambrose Burns II died in Belen, New Mexico, on November 29, 2025, age 83. An avid birder who moved to Marfa in 2005, he observed, recorded, and shared information on bird activity in Far West Texas for 20 years.
His volunteer work supported colleagues at the Fort Davis Historic Site and the Chihuahuan Desert Research Institute. He contributed his birding records to shared digital databases, including eBird of the Cornell School of Ornithology.
An engineering architect, he graduated from Harvard College in 1964 cum laude and received a Master of Architecture degree from Washington University in 1968. His professional career focused on applying computer processes for energy conservation, especially in schools.
He leaves his wife of 57 years, Elizabeth Kates Burns; one daughter, Caitlin Burns Tinker; two grandchildren, Beatrix and Alexander; and a brother, Mark Burns.