Bruce BURKHART

BURKHART, Bruce Brown

The world lost a good one. Bruce Brown Burkhart, passed away on February 14, 2021. He was preceded in death by his parents Charles and Juanita and his wife and one true love, Bonnie. He is survived by his brother Rick and sister Becky, his two children, Greg (FDILOAT Agnes) and Trina (Randy), his four grandchildren, Lindsey (Alex), Anna, Wyatt, and Leah, and his step-grandchild, Mere.Bruce was always active in the then-small community of Springboro, Ohio, in which he and Bonnie raised their children. His stint as the first president of the Springboro Jaycees is just one example. But he will live on in our memories for the more personal and occasionally non-traditional leadership roles he played in our lives. He was "Coach" every spring when his son's Little League season started. He was not above playing the role of "Teller-of-Tall-Tales" to take advantage of his daughter's occasional bouts of youthful gullibility. Bruce was "The Starter" during swim season, "The Announcer" during several football seasons, and "The Undisputed King of Giving the Finger" for much of his life. He was also one of the "Founding Fathers" of the unique, close-knit, eternally bound extended Tamarack family that sprung into being in the 70s and continues to thrive today even though we all left Tamarack long ago - the rest of you know who you are. But his most cherished role was "Papaw". The image of the doting grandfather has become a cliche, but Bruce was the dotingest doter in the history of doting papaws. He invariably joined Lindsey and Anna on their numerous trips to Disney, consumed prodigious quantities of oysters Rockafeller with Wyatt and Leah, and never failed to make each of them feel like his favorite by showing up for every significant event in their lives.The family is considering future memorial/remembrance options. In the meantime, please mark your calendars for April 17, 2021, at 4pm. As his friends and family well know, 4pm was Bruce's zealously observed happy hour. On that date, Bruce would surely have raised a glass skyward to toast the 55th anniversary of his marriage to Bonnie. We invite you to join us in doing it for him. To Bruce and Bonnie.