Dr. Warren W. Burnham

Dr. Warren Wells Burnham, 90, passed away December 14, 2025 at his home in Martinez, Georgia.

A native of Rhine, Georgia, he was the eldest child of the late Rev. Warren Gaultney Burnham and the late Evelyn (Wells) Burnham. He was raised in Abbeville, Georgia and graduated in 1953 from Abbeville High School. He attended Norman Park College in Norman Park, Georgia, where he met his wife of 68 years, Gayle (Hornbuckle) Burnham. He completed undergraduate studies at Mercer University and earned a Masters of Divinity from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary and a Doctor of Ministry degree from Eastern Baptist Theological Seminary in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Dr. Burnham pastored several Baptist churches in Louisiana, Pennsylvania, Maryland and Georgia. He also taught Sunday School at many of the churches he attended. He was currently an active member of the West Acres Baptist Church in Evans. He earned a Masters of Social Work from the University of Georgia and completed an internship in the Department of Psychiatry and Health Behavior at the Medical College of Georgia. He was a psychotherapist in private practice in Augusta providing adult and adolescent therapy, as well as marriage and family counseling. During his career, he was a member of several professional and ministerial organizations. He retired at the age of 83 years.

In his retirement, he continued to enjoy a lifelong love of learning. His hobbies included reading and spending time with his wife and children. He had a great sense of humor and enjoyed visiting with friends and family and sharing stories and a good laugh. He mostly loved strengthening his relationship with his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ through prayer and studying his Bible and being “Poppy” to his 8 grandchildren and 5 great-grandchildren.

At the age of 87, Dr. Burnham published a book “How to Be Wise and Successful: That It May Be Well with You.” The book is a memoir and collection of his stories and his life experiences growing up in Abbeville and his summers on his grandfather’s farm in Rhine, Georgia with selected life lessons from the Bible.

Dr. Burnham shares, “There are a few truths that are woven throughout this book. In a way, it is also a story of my own life.

“First, realize that life is difficult and very complicated; however, all you need to know about how to succeed is stated with assurance in Psalm 1. Read it. Meditate on it daily. Heed it. You will succeed. There may be times in the first, second, or third quarters of life that you may feel like a failure; but if you continue reading, heeding, and meditating on the principles of Psalm 1, you will get back up on your feet and go on with success. At the end of the game of life, you will be successful, ultimately in eternity. 

“And if you read daily, heed, and meditate on the book of Proverbs, you will gain wisdom. You will be wise, knowing that all wisdom comes from God and only from God. 

“The good news from these truths, absolute truths, is that it will be well for you. It will be for your own good. There is no other way for you to be truly wise and succeed in life. 

“Therefore, reading the Bible daily, to keep these truths in your mind, is the way to be wise and successful!”

Dr. Burnham is survived by his wife Gayle Burnham; his four children: Linda Wenger (Ric) of Martinez; Dianne Snead (John) of Martinez; Alan Burnham (Dana) of Bloomingdale; and Wayne Burnham (Lori) of Bostwick; his sisters, Sylvia Cook of Loganville and Kaye Smith (Hal) of Eastman; his brother Tony Burnham (Claudia) of Jasper; eight grandchildren, Erica Petersen; Cara Jackson; Amy Knapp; Blake Burnham; Ciara Sikes; Olivia Burnham, Neal Burnham and Emma Burnham; five great-grandchildren, Brooklyn Burnham, Addilyn Burnham, Lucy Sikes, Ella Sikes and Ava Claire Knapp.

He was preceded in death by his parents, brother Larry Burnham and grandson Alan Thomas Burnham.

The funeral service will be held Thursday, December 18, 2025, at 11:00 a.m. at the Chapel of Thomas Poteet and Son Funeral Directors with Rev. Larry Harmon officiating. A graveside service will be held on Friday, December 19, 2025, at 11:00 a.m. at Omega City Cemetery in Omega, Georgia.

The family will receive friends on Thursday one hour prior to the service, beginning at 10:00 a.m. at Thomas Poteet & Son Funeral Directors, 214 Davis Rd., Augusta, GA 30907 (706) 364-8484. Please sign the guestbook at www.thomaspoteet.com