Burnie Edwin McLain

Burnie Edwin McLain, age 88, of Elkton, MD, passed away peacefully on Friday, February 27, 2026. Burnie was born July 10, 1937, in Lubbock, TX to the late Arlen Maine McLain and Shirley Lucille (Barrett) McLain.  As the firstborn of six children, he was looked up to and respected, early on, for his faith and his example. His siblings thought his first two cars, a Model A Ford and a 1939 Chevrolet, were the coolest. He was a multi-sport athlete at Garrison High School.

Printer’s ink was “in his blood” from his teen years. He worked for the Garrison News as a sophomore, the Bonham Herald his last two years in high school, Flatt Stationers in Mexia, Texas, during college, and the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal in his early twenties, all of which was preparation for his eventual vocation as a missionary printer in Burundi, Africa. While in Lubbock, he and his wife, Glenda, were called by God to be missionaries in the nation of Burundi. As director of the Grace Memorial Printing Press on Mweya station in Burundi, Burnie supervised a staff of eight people. He was known among the Barundi who worked for him (Burundi—the nation; Barundi—the people) as a director who respected them and sought out their viewpoints. They loved him.

He also became known for using an acetylene torch to fashion “stoves” out of 55 gallon steel drums (which had been emptied of the diesel used to fuel the local mission’s electrical power plant). Those half-barrel stoves were very much in demand in the hills around Mweya station where Burnie worked.  The Barundi families would install them in the side of a bank near their homes and use them to bake bread.

Mechanically handy, he often did things like make a tree house and repair go-carts for his kids, fix cars, and maintain the printing press machines.  He also enjoyed photography.

Burnie contributed to the work of four Christian mission organizations by producing print materials for their churches, hospitals, and schools. Occasionally, he produced materials for the Burundi government. He was perhaps overly conscientious about the quality of his work—always noting with satisfaction the fine resolution of a successful color photo or the precise and clearly printed text. He took pride in his work.

Burnie was a man who had his struggles, especially in adapting back to life and work in the United States. Those struggles could make things difficult not only for him, but also for his family.  In his final years, he yearned for connection with family, even when it became more difficult for him to make it happen. Burnie is survived by his children: Gary Willingham-McLain (Laurel); Craig McLain (Carol) and his grandchildren: Alan Willingham-McLain, Brian Willingham-McLain, Tyler McLain, Ashling Hoffman Green, Shaina Hoffman, Mikela Hoffman, and Kirt McLain: his great grandchildren: Ashling 4, Kirt 1, Alan 2, Tyler 1 and his siblings: Wylie McLain, Arville McLain, Beverly Cox, Arlen McLain, and Shirley Hayslip, and his good friend (and former spouse), Glenda McLain. In addition to his parents, Burnie is preceded in death by his children: Karen Hoffman and Kevin McLain. A memorial service will be held in Mesquite, Texas, on April 11, 2026. Burnie always loved and talked about his home state of Texas.