Ava S. Burkard

Ava was born in New York, a true New Yorker, who proudly shared stories about growing up in the suburbs of New York City. Ava lost her dad at nine-years old. While this was difficult for her, it led to the very special relationships she developed with her mom and older brother Russell. Ava’s eyes sparkled the moment she shared mother-daughter memories such as seeing a not-yet-discovered Barbara Streisand and crossing the Atlantic in an ocean liner for a trip to Europe. While pursuing her English Major at Skidmore College, in upstate New York, she met the love of her life, John E. Burkard. Their college days included dancing at jazz clubs and her being elected the Delta Queen by John’s fraternity. She followed John to Michigan and their adventures continued as they lived on the river in Saint Clair. Ava shared loving memories of her marriage including purchasing a boat in Florida and traveling by water, 1,500 miles, from Florida to their Saint Clair home. In addition to Michigan, they spent their golden years in the Florida Keys and in the Outer Banks, North Carolina, always enjoying life by the water. They were married for sixty-one wonderful years.

Ava was an inspiration for how to stay strong both mentally and physically. She walked on her treadmill twice a day and completed the New York Times crossword puzzles daily without using the internet. Challenging words from the previous week’s completed puzzles would be a topic of phone conversations for Ava and her brother Russel every Sunday.

Ava had two sons, John G. (Jay) and Ted, and a daughter-in-law, Dona. Ava was a wonderful and devoted wife, mother, aunt, grandmother, and great-grandmother. Ava took the time to learn each grandchild’s interests and never stopped learning. She had five grandchildren: John A., Joshua, Ryan, Maria, and Rachel. She was excited to become a great grandmother in 2024 when Killian John Wayne Burkard was born. Ava was an erudite scholar who surrounded herself with books, magazines, and newspapers in every room. She found joy in book swapping with her granddaughters and friends. Ava will always be remembered for her devotion to her husband and family. Her consistent approach to keeping herself healthy and exercising her mind daily was an inspiration to her entire family.

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