Eugene "Gene" Burkart

Eugene Burkart, of Waltham, died at his home of cancer on Saturday, August 18 surrounded by family. He was 62. Eugene was born in Los Alamos , New Mexico on April 30, 1950, moved to Syracuse, New York when he was six, and to Framingham, Ma. in 1966 to graduate from Marian High School. Gene graduated from Holy Cross College in 1972 and Suffolk Law School in 1975. His most pivotal experience after Holy Cross was attending CIDOC in Cuernavaca, Mexico, where he met Ivan Illich, called the "greatest social critic of the twentieth century", and became a student and friend of his until Illich's death in 2003. Gene's life then became one of serving his community, living a life of simplicity, and being fully present to his family, friends, and legal clients. He practiced law in Waltham for 35 years, primarily with Hispanic clients. Having begun to learn Spanish at CIDOC's language school in 1972, he committed himself to studying on his own in the 1980's in order to serve his clients better. Gene co-founded GROW, Waltham's community gardens in 1994 and was on the steering committee until 2010. He was an active member of First Parish Unitarian Church from 1994-2002. He then became a parishioner at Christ Episcopal Church where he served on the vestry for two years and participated in many church activities over the last ten years. Gene was a passionate advocate for world peace, being an active member since 1982 of Waltham Concerned Citizens, originally created to advocate for nuclear weapons disarmament. He hosted several survivors of the bombing of Hiroshima ant his home in 1991 and in 2005 initiated a twice-monthly peace vigil in Waltham to advocate for bringing US troops home from current wars. Gene's lifelong interest in justice and his study under Illich were also expressed in his writing: newsletters of WCC and both churches and editorials to the Boston Globe and the Waltham News Tribune. In 2012 he began writing a column for the News Tribune called "Second Thoughts". One day before his death, he was planning his next column. He was an inspiration to family and friends for living out his beliefs. We will miss his wisdom, sense of humor and deep ethical convictions. Gene was the son of the late Elizabeth and Robert Burkart. He is survived by his wife of 32 years, Susan (Harpham) Burkart and two deeply-loved sons, David and Daniel of Waltham. He also leaves behind his beloved brother, Michael Burkart and his wife, Barbara of Amherst, Ma. and his beloved sister, Marie Burkart and her husband, Scott Heyl, of Worthington, Ma. He leaves behind a brother-in-law Robert Harpham and his wife Cindy, of Maryville, Tenn., sister-in-law Milly Baylies and her partner, Leo Braley, and sister-in-law Patt Burgess and her husband, Karl I. He is also survived by his cherished grandsons, David and Dominic Burkart of Waltham, an aunt and uncle, Helen and Gayle Losey, nieces and nephews Kathy, Kris, Kerin, Patty, Jeff, Michael, Karen, Isaac, and many cousins. Relatives and friends are respectfully invited to attend A Memorial Service in celebration of Gene's life at Christ Church, 750 Main St., Waltham, Saturday, August 25, at 11 a.m. with Interment of his ashes in the church's memorial garden and a luncheon to follow at the church. Visiting hours will be held Friday evening, August 24, from 4-8 at the Brasco & Sons Memorial, 773 Moody St., WALTHAM. Parking attendants will be on duty. Donations in his memory may be made to: Bikes Not Bombs, 284 Amory St., Jamaica Plain, Ma. 02130 or The SS Francis and Therese Catholic Worker, 52 Mason St., Worcester, Ma. 01610.