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Charles Robert Burkett Click for Condolences      Printable Version 1927 - 2007 Age: 79 BURKETT, Charles Robert Pine St. Paw Paw, MI Passed away Friday, March 16, 2007 at LakeView Community Hospital, Paw Paw. Charles was born May 7, 1927 in Dowagiac, MI the son of the late Frank and Marion (Morton) Burkett. He was a 1945 graduate of Dowagiac High School. After high school he served in the U.S. Army at the end of World War II obtaining the rank of Corporal before his honorable discharge in 1946. He received his B.A. degree from Michigan Sate University in 1951 and a M.A. degree at the University of Michigan in 1956 and also received his Certification in Social Work from Western Michigan University. He taught speech and drama at Roosevelt High School in Wyandotte, before moving with his family to Paw Paw, MI. In 1967 he joined the staff of Kalamazoo Valley Intermediate School District, as a school social worker. Later he served the migrant program in the summer in Van Buren County. He and his wife also acted as foster parents for two high school boys who needed assistance in achieving a high school diploma. His greatest source of joy and pride was the founding of the Paw Paw Village Players of which he directed many of its productions during his 39 years it has been in existence, and also played several leading roles. After retiring from the KVISD staff, he worker at selling real estate and salvaging old houses, screening DUI drivers for the court and serving as a guardian ad Liter for the court. Charley was a member of the First Presbyterian Church, Paw Paw since 1960. He was also a member of the Paw Paw Village Players, and the Wyandotte Community Theater. He was a member of the Michigan School Social Workers Association, the Michigan Education Association and the Paw Paw Educational Association. He loved gardening, antique restoration and real estate renovation. On August 1, 1952 in Eagle Grove, Iowa, Charles was united in marriage to Mary Doran Parsons who survives. Also surviving are4 children, .James (Mara) Burkett of Portage, MI, Daniel (Liz) Burkett of Kalamazoo, Thomas Burkett of Paw Paw and Martha (George) Burkett of Portland, MI; 11 grandchildren, Nathaniel, Carson, Marian, Maxwell, Gabriel, Elyse, Blake, Tara Burkett, Luke Kula, Zach and Emily Carpenter; sister, Doris Mosier of Kalamazoo; many nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by a sister, Ruth Burkett Park of Greenville, CA and a brother, Jack Burkett of Blanchester, OH. As per Charley’s request his body was donated to medical science at Michigan State University, East Lansing. Family will receive friends Monday (3/19) 4 to 7 p.m. at the fellowship hall of the First Presbyterian Church, Paw Paw where a memorial service will be held Tuesday, 11 a.m. with Rev. Tom Abbott officiating. Memorial contributions may be made to the Paw Paw Village Players. Arrangements are by the Adams Funeral Home, Paw Paw.

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There are currently 23 condolences.

Fred A Avan favan@deccacable.com Saturday October 12, 2019 at 1:45 PM

I was one of many that looked up to him. He gave you the will that you could do anything.I still think of him & I'm 80 years old.It been 65 years ago.But he is still alive.

Ellen Purchase Tetapurch@aol.com Friday July 13, 2007 at 11:08 AM

Mr. Burkett was my speech teacher at Paw Paw High School in 1960. Even though I was shy then, he had a way of drawing you out in class. I remember he encouraged me to try out for 'Time Out For Ginger'. That was probably the highlight of my highschool years, the rehearsing,the silly things our cast did afterwards, and the performance:). I remember most of all his great laugh, you could tell he enjoyed his students. I also had the pleasure of babysitting for the Burket's during that same time. I thought then what a great family, 3 boys and a baby girl. It turns out I have 3 sons and 1 daughter as well. A few years ago I was in Paw Paw for business and drove out to see Mr. & Mrs. Burkett. I cherish the time I spent with them, reminising,looking through the old year books and getting caught up on old school mates. Thank you Mrs. Burket, James, Dan, Tom and Martha for the memories. God Bless you all! Ellen

Victoria Miller Sepulveda victoria.sepulveda@gmail.com Monday April 23, 2007 at 2:12 AM

Charley was one of those persons whose voice I will never forget. I first met Charley as a shy 15-year-old, and he cast me in the PPVP production of Carousel. It was so great to work with him as he really was a person who saw the best in everybody. He helped me to come out of my shell and appreciate music theatre, as well as gain confidence in my abilities. God bless and thank you, Charley!! My favorite moments with Charley also included spending time with his lovely wife Mary, who has always been a class act and a positive spirit in both the community and PPVP. Charley's gentle guidance, wit, and charisma made him an example to others of humility and kindness. His legacy and contribution to both the community and PPVP will never fade.

madison Sunday April 1, 2007 at 9:50 PM

i am sorry

Erin Quantz-Stump Saturday March 31, 2007 at 3:07 PM

To the Burkett Family: Please accept me and my family' sincere condolences. I have many great memories of Charlie as a child through my early adult years. He and his wife brought nothing but art and joy into many lives. Charlie, you will be missed.

George Rupet geewhiz33@hotmail.com Wednesday March 28, 2007 at 4:57 AM

Mary and family, I know that you would not remember me from so many years ago. I no longer live in the United States, but a friend sent me the obituary of your husband. When I was in high school he was the man I enjoyed the most. He provided me with times and stories that I am able to still tell today. I always thought that I would keep in touch with him, but our lives didn't work out that way. I am so very happy to have known him in the time period that I did. ******************* Only when you drink form the river of silence shall you indeed sing. And when you have reached the mountain top, then you shall begin to climb. And when the earth shall claim your limbs, then shall you truly dance.

Ben Donora, Jr. Saturday March 24, 2007 at 1:47 PM

We are wishing Charley's family our most sincere condolences. Having people like Charley in the world makes it a way better place because of his fun and influence on our generation.

Laurie Kaniarz Wednesday March 21, 2007 at 10:55 PM

Reading Charley's obituary in Saturday's Kalamazoo Gazette gives an impressive account of Charles R. Burkett the public figure. Obituaries are more useful than most people give them credit for: if, say the great-great-granddaughter of Tara Burkett is doing genealogical research, and comes across this obituary, she can instantly go back at least three generations, by finding Tara's dad, Tom, among Charley's offspring; verify Charley's wife's maiden name (Parsons) as well as Charley's father's name and Charley's mother's maiden name (Morton). Plus, with all the mentions of his accomplishments in Michigan, Iowa, Germany, and so forth, this future researcher gets plenty of clues as to places she can look for additional documentation. On the other hand, you don't always get an idea of what the person was really like when you read an obituary, as it deals with facts rather than the countless impressions and memories of people who really knew the deceased. Therefore, in no particular order, I'd like to add some of my own impressions and memories of this unique and wonderful man, Charley, who was once my father-in-law, evolved into a long-time friend, and is now a beloved ancestor. Charley had perfect teeth, an encompassing smile, a wicked sense of humor coupled with sincere kindness and generosity, beautiful straight legs, and honest bare feet in the summertime. He and Mary were the first grownups I ever knew who wore bluejeans (believe it or not), and this mind-expanding experience was only the first of many I had while I knew him. He had a crewcut and tortoise shell glasses in his young-married pictures; when I met him in the '70s he had an Abe-Lincoln or Amish-type beard (no moustache), and that's how he looks in my mind's eye now. He loved to swim in the dark depths of Shaw Lake (which he and Mary christened Sans Culottes -- without pants -- in honor of the skinny dipping encouraged there). Once he was IN the lake he had to keep swimming, because he had near-zero buoyancy and would sink like a stone if he attempted to float. Charley built the dock and raft on the lake. He built the garage which, with some presto-change-o, turned into a graceful screened-in porch for summer suppers, parties, and Charlie's deep and luxurious naps. The garage held old family pictures, a summer icebox, and plenty of curiosities and antiques including a tattered sampler which seemed to say THE OLD OAKEN BURKET. The potted Benjamin fig that sat out there in the hot months got carried into the sunny basement for overwintering, and one time a tiny toad got carried in with it. Charley cherished and protected the toad in the pot until the outdoors season came around again. Charley loved to build things, repair things, take things apart, put things back together. He was a true action figure, always doing something. During his later illness he was not able to do much, but he'd doggedly try anyway, which caused a fall or two. He was keen on big projects, like building a new house or refurbishing an old one (always with THRIFT as his guiding principle), or smaller, delicate ones, like carving crêche figures from Ivory soap or caning and beautifying antique chairs he'd rescued from junk heaps. He adored his manly El Caminos and riding lawn mowers, yet could make a fleeting work of art in a tiny vase out of one flower bud, a twig, a leaf. Funny little wind-up toys tickled the heck out of him, and he had the most unique collection of any I've heard of: clay figurines from somebody else's school art classes -- the faces with the eyes miscalculated too far up the forehead, the sinister masks, the squashed turtles. My favorite is the head of the bug-eyed blonde girl with the bow in her hair that dignifies the top of his toilet tank. Charley could explain things in a way that made clear and simple sense, while holding up his hand in a sort of sleepy Papal blessing. Often he laughed while telling you things. He loved language (how could he not, as an educator, actor, and director?). Once, after a big, creative group candle-making session -- his candle was light green and had countless legs made by poking his fingers into the sand mold -- he sat back and sighed in satisfaction, "THAT was a candle HAPPENING!" He single-handedly revived the old custom of "saucering" tea or coffee -- pouring a little into the saucer to cool it before sipping it. He was a late-night cookie monster. He had a tender singing voice and I liked it when he sang "Foggy, Foggy Dew," (an early seduction song) and "Sleep, Kentucky Babe." He told funny stories about his twin grandpa and great-uncle, Miles and Giles. He said he had been a geek (or the 1940s equivalent of a geek) in high school until his sister taught him to dance, and then he got the girls! What a wealth of knowledge he was on any subject - poetry, literature, songbirds, snakes on the boardwalk down to the lake, snapping turtles, appliances, cars, local history, gardening of vegetables and flowers. Charley was uncommonly brave, too -- once, he came to the aid of a woman who'd been shot in the chest, something I still regard in awe. He liked reading out loud, and encouraged us to read to each other when snowed in, or just because. From the many occupations enumerated in his obituary you can just imagine how many, many people came into Charley's sphere of influence: students, thespians, people with disabilities, the socially marginalized, educators and social workers, neighbors, townsfolk, and on and on. Lucky all of us. There are so many things I know, and know how to look at, or know what to look for, because of my long association with this knower, seer and doer. I like to think of it as having an "inner Charley." My inner Charley doesn't usually inspire me to put anything funny on my head, which was a primal instinct in him, but it does make me look in gratitude at the natural world, wonder about the uses of peculiar antiques, and gives me the courage to prune an out-of-control houseplant. My inner Charley tells me how to make an amaryllis bulb bloom again, invites me to swim at Shaw Lake, and makes me grateful for my ability to float.

David Johnson Tuesday March 20, 2007 at 4:53 PM

I met Charlie some 16 yrs ago when i joined the village players at the age of 13. Charlie took me and all of my friends under his wing and taught us about respect, patiets and loyalty (not just acting and scripts). He enriched the lives of people and the world around him. Even in death, with his gift to science, he continues to teach. For every one person he influenced in his lifetime, there are thousands more benefitting. He was soft spoken and spoke eliquently as though every sentence were a tiny poem. In december of 2000 The Burketts asked me to assist them in directing and producing a childrens Christmas play. Three weeks into the project my dad died suddenly and i was devistated. i couldnt help with the play anymore after that, but Charlie called me on the phone for several days afterword to see how i was holding up. i'll never forget how comforting that was. When my wife and i bought our house we were excited that we were only a few houses away from Charlie and Mary. I would often go down and visit with them/him. It became more difficult go over there during the past year or so with all of Charlies health problems. oftimes charlie would just show up in front of our house on his "amigo" with a huge grin on his face. i never knew how long he had been sitting out there, and i dont think charlie did either. we would talk about poetry and gardening-real manly stuff. We ended up writing poems back and forth for sometime. one day Charlie was coming up the block and i met him at the corner. He took off his engineers hat and gave it to me with a "happy birthay" spoken softly. "its not MY birthday, charlie" i said. "no but its my birthday, and i want YOU to have my hat". so i took it, and i wear it every so often...and think of Charlie. Although Charlie was a small aspect of my life, he made a huge impact on me (and all of my friends). He was truly a unique human being, and his vibration will reverberate for ever and ever. my deepest sympathy to you all. much love, David A. Johnson and family. 312 N. Lagrave st. Paw Paw.

Arden Rynew Tuesday March 20, 2007 at 2:55 PM

I'm one of the many whose life and direction was changed and improved by Mr. Burkett. He was dear to all of his students. I was in "Roomful Of Roses" directed by Mr. Burkett in my Junior year in 1960 at Roosevelt. Because of him, I altered my career path and have ended up working in Hollywood in the Motion Picture and Television Industry. Mr. Burkett was a shining example of what a teacher can contribute to society. I'm sorry to hear of his passing. To his students he made the word "Thespian" very special and magical. The world will miss Charley. Arden Rynew Studio City, California

Kenneth Dahms kad7272@verizon.net Monday March 19, 2007 at 3:24 PM

Mary,Jim,Daniel,Tom,Martha,Iam so sorry to hear that Charlie has past away.The memories that your family has given me i will cherish for ever.Charlie was such a caring man in all he did.I could fill the pages of this site with all the memories. I will miss him,my best wishes to all of you at this trying time. Ken Dahms 813-631-9868

Karen Kaiser-Ward Monday March 19, 2007 at 3:11 PM

Thomas, Martha and Daniel, just wanted to let you know that you are all in my thoughts and prayers. Your father was a very special man and you were lucky to have him. Please know that even though I don't see you, you are in my thoughts and in many lasting memories. Take care!!!

Carson J. Leftwich carsonj959@yahoo.com Monday March 19, 2007 at 9:13 AM

I sure have some happy memories of visiting at Charley and Mary's house in the country. We would play such games, running around the basement and the upstairs, outside and in, stopping to touch base with the adults on the screened porch. It was one of those situations: while you were there, you were friends with the kids, but in between, you never saw them. And each time we went back, we were friends again! Except we were just that little bit younger that we were usually the quarry, or were constantly bugging James and Dan. They had a beautiful little pond at the back of their property and I remember very distinctly walking down the dirt path through the woods on a sunny hot day, the air so moist you could barely breathe, the mosquitos so thick you ran back to the house for some spray-on protection. At the bottom of the path was a tiny spring fed pond. A derelict old dock stuck out into the water, colored by the dark muck bottom, black and full of lily pads and fish. I didn't like it and would rarely swim, though once I did and coming back up the path, I accidentally ran into an electrified fence with my bare, wet belly. I got carried by one of the big boys (*swoon*) back to the house and fussed over for the rest of the day. Charley was so nice, always laughing, caring and interested in even a little kid's life. He always made me feel special with his attention. I remember him at my wedding, my graduation and the weddings of his children. All happy times.

Pamela Grath Sunday March 18, 2007 at 8:24 PM

Years ago when I had bought my house on Berkley Street in Kalamazoo and was putting a garden together on a shoestring, Charley offered to give me some spiderwort, "if you'll call it by its right name." I thought he meant the Latin name, but no, its "real name," he insisted, was "snotweed"! So I can't look at or speak or think of spiderwort without remembering Charley teaching me to call it snotweed. Love you, Charley! Love you, too, Mary!

Laurie Foster Saturday March 17, 2007 at 11:07 PM

Mary, Daniel, Tom, Jim and Martha, I am very sorry to hear of the passing of Charlie. I have such fond memories of him, one being the directing of the Music Man. I also remember when we were all kids running down the path for a swim behind your house, and he use to scare us of the big snake that lived behind your house. Oh, Diane Jeffries and I would scream and run even faster. The memories, I hope they never stop............. I would love to hear from ya' all. Laurie Foster gmafoster@yahoo.com 907-299-3364

Scott Overton scottoverton1@yahoo.com Saturday March 17, 2007 at 6:48 PM

Though I have been living in Pennsylvania for five years now, my world seems lonelier with Charlie gone. He will remain a source of inspiration to me for the rest of my life. I don’t know of a more noble goal in life than to leave this world truly better than the way it was when you first got here. With his hard work and energy, Charlie certainly made growing up in Paw Paw, Michigan more enjoyable and his legacy, the Paw Paw Village Players, I hope, will keep Paw Paw that way for generations.

Kay Quinn, nee German Saturday March 17, 2007 at 6:33 PM

Back in 1957 I was in our Junior play and remember Mr. Burkett as understanding and kind for such a horrible actress like me. I am sorry for your loss. HKQ

Alan B. Vasher, D.O. Vasher@comporium.net Saturday March 17, 2007 at 2:06 PM

Mary, you and your family have my sympathy. Charley was a great influence on my life, specifically he taught he to never quit. I have thought of you two often and only regret my life wasn't closer. Again my sincere sympthies. Alan

Paul M. Althouse PMACLJA@aol.com Saturday March 17, 2007 at 2:00 PM

I have so many fond memories of "CB" through my years on stage crew, in plays and Thespians. He was my favorite teacher at Wyandotte and will be remembered in my thoughts and prayers. He had a great positvie effect on many of us and will be forever thanked for that.my condolences, thoughts and prayers are with you. with greatest gratitude for his life and efforts for all of us, Paul

Kay Krahnke Mautz kaymautz@sbcglobal.net Saturday March 17, 2007 at 1:35 PM

Mr. Burkett made an enormous difference in my life. As a shy high school student, he first chose me to be a student director of a play, and subsequently gave me parts in the Junior and Senior plays. He knew how to tap the inner talents of his students and is someone I think of with great admiration. My condolences to the whole family. He was a great man.

Linda Conolly Imus Saturday March 17, 2007 at 12:51 PM

Dear Tom & Family, I'm so sorry to hear about the passing of your Father. He was a wonderful man who meant so much to the community and will be greatly missed. My daughter was in seven productions with him at the playhouse and the impression he left on her has been ever lasting...that speaks volumes of not only his character, but the impact he had on other people's lives. My prayers and thoughts are being sent your way.

Fred Sitkins fred.sitkins@wmich.edu Saturday March 17, 2007 at 11:14 AM

Charles was one very special person who had a perfound influence on me during a point in my youth when I needed someone to nurture, befriend, and guide me. I credit him with the success I have today as an engineering professor. The things I learned in drama, set design and team work at Roosevelte High School stayed with me throughout my personal and professional life. When ever classmates get together, Charlie's name always comes up. We have all been touched by him. God bless all you you who morn his loss Fred Sitkins

Deb and Bill Windover Friday March 16, 2007 at 5:29 PM

We are so very sorry to lose such a fine man in our community. We have watched Charlie at the Village Playhouse, he took such great pride in what he did there. Your family will be in our prayers.

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