Funeral Service Captures Essence of Lake Forest Teen's Life-loving Spirit

If the beauty of a life possibly can be measured, then Ellie Burns’ cup overflows.

Hundreds of people attended the teen’s funeral service Saturday, filling First Presbyterian Church of Lake Forest to beyond capacity – from the main chapel to the Fellowship Hall downstairs, and even the church hallways.

Burns, 16, who would have been a junior this fall at Lake Forest High School, died July 18 with a youth group in the Teton Wilderness in Wyoming.

In her welcome message, the Rev. Christine Chakoian set the tone for the service, encouraging everyone to share stories about Ellie with her family – today, tomorrow, next month, and next year. And that is what unfolded in the ensuing 90-minute celebration of Ellie’s life.

Classmates and friends of Ellie’s took turns sharing anecdotes that conveyed her zest for life, humor, and humble and giving nature – offering plenty of opportunities for laughter to complement the tears.

Friend Niko Svigos recounted a time when Ellie left a note of support and a pint of ice cream in his kitchen when he really needed a friend. He encouraged those in attendance to think about the person sitting next to them at today’s service – whether family, acquaintance or stranger – and use this occasion as an opportunity to listen, open up, make a friend, and be their “pint of ice cream.”

“Heaven just got a lot more fun,” said close friend Hannah Faucher in her remarks about Ellie. By all accounts, Ellie was clearly a fun-loving person who brought laughter and joy to those around her. She was known for her infectious smile, goofy faces, and ability to eat an enormous amount of food while remaining slim.

Isabelle Montagne, one of Ellie’s closest friends, imagined Ellie watching over the service saying, “OK, Iz, you’d better make me sound good.”

Montagne credited Ellie with teaching her the confidence it takes to love yourself no matter what others think, and to not take yourself so seriously.

Ellie’s sisters, Katie and Maggie Burns, shared a story of Ellie and her Dad, Mike, vying for five double-stuff Oreo cookies, Ellie’s favorite. Ellie won, even if it meant stuffing three of the cookies in her mouth at once while dunking the other two in milk.

And Ellie’s mom, Sally. described her daughter as “the girl who didn’t want to be noticed, who everybody noticed,” and shared some of Ellie’s favorite things – shoes, driving, Chipotle, tubing, countless episodes of CSI and Friends, photography, friends, and her puppy Charlie.

In her homily, Chakoian acknowledged the magnitude of this tragic loss and verbalized everyone’s questions: “Why did this happen?” and, “Is there any meaning to this?”

Her response to congregants: “Yes, there is meaning,” Rev. Chakoian said. “Ellie’s death shows us with stunning clarity how urgent and uncertain life is. We don’t know how much time we have. We’ll never know.”

She urged everyone not to squander the time in the present, which is exactly what Ellie emulated in her life – living in the moment, overcoming adversity, and “going after the things she wanted with incredible zeal,” Chakoian said.

The music and vocals during the service were particularly poignant, with songs like I, Amazing Grace, and Joni Mitchell’s The Circle Game, one of Ellie’s favorites (see the attached YouTube Video):

And the seasons they go round and round

And the painted ponies go up and down

We’re captive on the carousel of time

We can’t return we can only look

Behind from where we came

And go round and round and round

In the circle game     

(lyrics from Joni Mitchell’s The Circle Game)