Bernadine Caroline Burnham

Bernadine “Bernie” Caroline Burnham, 83, of Brandon FL, passed away peacefully on March 26, 2025 of natural causes. Beloved Mother, daughter, sister and friend. Bernie brought light and kindness into the lives of all who knew her.

Bernadine was born on November 30, 1941, in Toledo Ohio to Thaddeus L. Wolinski and Scholastica “Sally” J. Wolinski. After graduating from Betz Business College in 1978, she began her career at Hillsborough County Courthouse in 1979 in Tampa and then transferred to the Plant City Courthouse for a total of 28 years. She started as a Court Clerk and worked her way up to management and became a supervisor. She retired in 2007.

In 1959, she married Ronald Burnham, and together they raised four children, Daniel Carlton, Annette Evelyn, Theresa Louise, and Wayne Leonard. She and Ronald shared 24 years of marriage. In 1985, she found love again with her devoted companion, Buddy Kemp, with whom she spent 33 years with.

Bernie embraced life’s simple joys: an advent Tampa Bay Lightning hockey fan and season ticket holder for years. She was known as Grandma Hockey and was loved by everyone in her section at the arena, cruising with her sisters, solving puzzles, reading, and sharing special girl’s day’s with her daughters, granddaughters, and friends. She had a deep love for animals, filling her home with the warmth of many beloved pets, including dogs, cats and even a horse. She loved working in her yard and had a green thumb and loved plants, especially roses and poinsettias’.

She was welcomed into enteral rest by her son, Wayne Burnham, her parents, Thaddeus Wolinski and Scholastica “Sally” Wolinski, her sisters, Julia Berning, Dolores Gilliam, and Ruth Davis. She leaves behind a legacy of love and strength in her son, Daniel Burnham (Angela), daughters, Annette Cusmano (Bob), and Theresa Trussell (Randy), her six grandchildren Shannon, Shawn, Christina, Matthew, Jessica and Daniel and three great-grandchildren, Steven, Lillian and Landon.

Everyone who knew Bernie tells us how much they loved her and she will be greatly missed.