Justin Lundgren

With great sadness I have to report that my father-in-law Ted Burke has died. I’ve know Ted since 1989 when I first met Kiersta, and he has been a pillar of my life ever since. When I first met Ted I was struck by how quiet he was, especially when contrasted with Kiersta’s mom Linda, but when you engaged him even a little, it became clear very quickly that “still waters really do run deep”. Over the last 20 years or so Ted would spend half the year in Michigan and half with us in New Orleans and so my family was the beneficiary of his steadiness and love and humor. And let’s not forget how eager he was to be of service to us, always repairing things around the house and fixing our cars and just generally performing all of the manly duties that I was unequipped to do. He just wanted to be helpful, and he would do it so quietly. In contrast, whenever I succeeded in fixing anything around the house I would proclaim it to the world and explain to friends and family in excruciating detail how I accomplished the task. Ted would just fix shit and then let you discover for yourself “hmmm this doorknob doesn’t jiggle any more” or “hmm, the rotting step on my deck somehow got replaced” or “hmm, the check engine light on my car is no longer blinking”. And then you’d say to him “Ted did you fix this?” and he’d just nod yes. But more than all of the help, I so appreciated Ted’s attention to my kids. He adored Alex and Leo, and he paid attention to them when they were infants in a way that was loving and gentle but also similar to the way in which Jane Goodall studied chimpanzees. Always observing their tendencies and interests and delighting in their new motor or verbal skills. It reminds me of kiersta, frankly, although his style was different.
I’ll just end this post by saying thank you Ted. Over the course of 85 years you did all the things. You raised two great kids and you were constantly giving back to your community. You were always present for the people who needed you. You will be sorely missed! We love you Ted ❤️❤️❤️