Burns feted at surprise party for 105th birthday

Surrounded by family, friends and well-wishers, Dorothy Burns was surprised with a party to celebrate her 105th birthday at Lakeview Terrace on the afternoon of Dec. 7.

“I’ve seen so many people from my past,” Burns said. “I don’t know how they heard about it.”

Those in attendance included family, friends, past and present caregivers and various community partners. Burns also received a special birthday card from Sen. Jacky Rosen.

Burns is an independent New Yorker who enjoyed roller-skating and acting on stage as a young woman. She is a fan of Nelson Eddy and Alan Ladd and was in attendance at the first Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. She was living on her own, driving at age 100 before moving to Boulder City in 2018.

She worked as a prison clerk and raised three sons with her husband. She has six grandchildren, four great-grandchildren, and two great-great-grandchildren.

“Nothing is more important than family,” she said.

Burns’ sister’s grandson was among the many guests in attendance. “We met and sat and talked for about three hours together,” Burns said. “We had so much to say to each other.”

Veronica Huening, sales and marketing coordinator for Lakeview Terrace where Burns lives, organized the surprise party. Huening is a lifelong Boulder City resident who was the event coordinator at St. Jude’s Ranch for Children for 13 years until the pandemic in 2020.

“We reached out to all of our community partners who support our residents each and every day and I was so moved by the support,” Huening said.

Huening said Burns’ two favorite activities these days are reading books and socializing with her friends at mealtime.

“Dorothy is a very quiet, no-fuss type of person,” Huening said, “but she was so excited and just glowed all day.”

Contact reporter Anisa Buttar at abuttar@bouldercityreview.com or at 702-586-9401.