By Sean P. Ray | Managing Editor
Barbara Burns, who spent her life advocating and improving the Northside through a multitude of public service activities, passed away on Nov. 5 at Allegheny General Hospital after a battle with illness. She was 76 years old.
Burns, who was born on Dec. 3, 1948, was a life-long resident of the Northside, and it is difficult to overstate the impact she has had on the community. Northside children likely best know her as one of the co-founders of Northside Pumpkinfest, an event she organized for 31 years.
However, Burns’ contributions to the Northside go beyond Pumpkinfest. She founded East Allegheny Community Council (EACC), which works to revitalize the Deutschtown National Historic District. During the course of her life, she served as president of the Pittsburgh Board of Education, became the first Pittsburgh woman to become a member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, was a Pittsburgh City Council person from 2000 to 2004 and owned and operated the Sweet Time General Store on East Ohio Street.
“It is hard for me to summarize Barb’s incredible legacy,” said Kathleen Dapper, the current president of EACC. “She’s been such an important part of East Allegheny and the Northside for decades.”
Friends and family of Burns will be received at Thomas P. Kunsak Funeral Home, located at 3552 California Ave., on Nov. 9, from 2-8 p.m. A funeral service will follow on Nov. 10 at 10 a.m. at the home. Internment will follow in Union Dale Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, Burns’ obituary requests donations to EACC toward future Pumpkinfests.
See the full article in the upcoming December 2025 edition of The Northside Chronicle.
