NANETTE BURKART

BURKART--Nanette C. On December 21, 2022, in Raleigh, North Carolina, Nanette Carrasco Burkart completed her journey through this life. Born October 5, 1925, in Brooklyn, to Andrew Carrasco and Mefelde Naldi, she lived through the Great Depression, the second World War and the advent of a new millennium. She raised six children in Westchester County with her first husband, Richard Parsons, Jr., from whom she was divorced in 1969. In 1970, she married Joseph Burkart, cared for his two children and was his partner until his death in 2003. Possessed of a keen intellect and unbending work ethic, she achieved advanced degrees in speech pathology and nursing, pursuing work in those fields in New York and Delaware. She was blessed with an extraordinary ear for language and eagerly conversed with native speakers of Italian, Spanish, German, and French. Her ear also afforded a marvelous musical talent in both piano and voice, and while she eschewed the bright lights, her impromptu performances always brought applause. Despite her diverse interests, the center of her life was her home and family. Friends and visitors will recall fine food and spirited conversation. Nanette was deeply principled and would not yield her position without strong cause, yet her intention was always to be constructive and to encourage others to do so as well. She balanced respect for every person's humanity with the expectation that they exercise their humanity to the fullest. She loved wild things, birds, dogs, and children. She is survived by her children Rick (Terry), Robin (Don), Penny (Carol), Peter (Sandy), Jonathan (Josko), and Will (Jacqi), her stepchildren David (Ann) and Tony (Donna) and six grandchildren. Nanette died on the winter solstice having assured her loved ones that light was indeed returning to the world. Vinciate, Nanette.