The image of John C. Burns wearing a wide-brimmed Quaker hat has been seen in millions of kitchens. A part-time actor, Burns once modeled for the cover art of Quaker Oats cereal packages.
The oatmeal box exposure brought him national visibility, but most of his thespian work occurred at the local level. Burns appeared at the Drury Lane Theatre in Evergreen Park, Ill., and narrated the St. Patrick's Day parades in Chicago. He hosted the "Something About the Irish," radio program and worked as a DJ for a local AM station.
Burns died of a heart attack on July 24. He was 84.
Posted on August 2, 2003 12:54 AM