Jerry David Burdick

September 26, 1937 – May 8, 2023

Jerry David Burdick, 85, of Charlotte, North Carolina, was surrounded by his family when he passed away on May 8, 2023 from heart failure.

Jerry, fondly known as Mr. B. to his students, was born to Ralph and Lucille Burdick in Neosho, Missouri on September 26, 1937. His growing-up years were spent in Missouri, Tennessee, and Oklahoma. Later in life, he lived in New Mexico, Colorado and North Carolina. He loved the outdoors and left his children with many fond memories of camping trips, hikes and nature walks.

Jerry was a talented musician and teacher who was known for his caring professionalism. After graduating from the University of Tulsa with a master's degree in music education, he taught band, choir, stage band and orchestra, leading his bands and individual students to many championships and superior ratings. Jerry was known not only as a teacher, but also a nurturer. Anyone who had contact with Jerry left a better person. He remains loved by his former students. After retiring from 30 years of teaching music, Jerry continued to serve by leading and singing in church choirs, playing in community bands, and playing piano in nursing homes.

In addition to his musical and teaching abilities, Jerry was known as a man of firm faith. The godly life he lived set an example for all who knew him. He is survived by his wife of 63 years, Phyllis, and his four children, Vicki, Brent, Brad and Todd. His ten grandchildren and 15 great-grandchildren will miss his kindness, stories, and sense of humor.

Jerry’s family will hold a funeral service on Saturday, May 13th, at Philadelphia United Methodist Church in Fort Mill, SC. Visitation will be from 10:00 am to 10:45 am EST. The service and live stream will begin at 11:00 am EST.

A link for the live stream can be found at the Philadelphia UMC Facebook page at this link: https://www.facebook.com/PUMCFortMill?mibextid=ZbWKwL.

In memory of Jerry D. Burdick, a music scholarship fund has been set up through the Daniel Webster High School Alumni Foundation. The scholarship will go to a student from Webster High School in Tulsa, Oklahoma who desires to study music at a college of their choice. The scholarship will keep Jerry’s music legacy alive by investing in the lives of students with a dream to teach and perform music. To donate to the fund in memory of Jerry, send a personal check to:

Daniel Webster High School Alumni Foundation

ATTN: Jerry D. Burdick Music Scholarship

P.O. Box 9824

Tulsa, OK 74157

Put ‘Jerry D. Burdick Music Scholarship’ in the Memo line.

To donate online through the DWHS Alumni Foundation PayPal account scan the following QR code with your cell phone, click on the memorial contributions tab.