Barbara Jean Burdick

Barbara Jean Burdick was born in Logan, Utah on September 9, 1931 to Leona Louise Pardini and Omar Blanchard. She was raised by her maternal grandparents, Armando and Angelina Pardini from Italy – “momma and daddy”. She loved her grandparents and family. Her childhood home was a Victorian style home in Logan, Utah. When she was older, she moved from Logan to live with her mother, Leona Blanchard in Idaho and Colorado. After she graduate from Twin Falls high school she attended a hospital nursing school, St. Anthony’s in Denver, Colorado, where she obtained her Licensed Practical Nurse training. She worked at the old county hospital in Salt Lake City, Utah. Then she began working at the Veteran’s Administration Hospital where she worked for many years taking care of veteran patients. She retired from the VA in Salt Lake City, Utah. She then worked for St. Joseph’s Villa Care Center in Salt Lake City, Utah where she ended her career and again retired. She was a good nurse and gave excellent care. She married Richard Burdick in her youth. They had a son, David Burdick who was the apple of his mother’s eye. He was kind, smart and attended the Air Force Academy. He was an Ace Pilot and flew an F4 Phantom Fighter Jet. He was devoted to his mother. David Burdick preceded her in death one day on a flying maneuver while still in the Air Force which all but broke his mother’s heart.

Lesley Black, a longtime friend and a nurse practitioner at the VA, later had two sons, Jeffrey and David, (named after her son, David,) who became Barb/Bobbi’s grandsons. They enjoyed Grandma Barbara from birth throughout the remainder of her life, celebrating many holidays together. She was the kind of grandma who served cookies and milk and an occasional piece of her mind. She tended them and cooked for them and cared for them as she did many of her family members and friends. Aunt Bobbi was loved by all her cousins, nieces and nephews, aunts and uncles, each one of them special to her, including her younger brother, Jay Martin, his children and the brothers of her son, David.

Barbara/Bobbi loved her family and was close friends with her former sister in law, and lifetime friend, Mary Burdick, who left this life a week before Bobbi. Mary Burdick had a granddaughter, Megan Thayer, who was a close great niece of Bobbi’s. Megan lived with her aunt, gaining benefit from Aunt Bobbi’s love and concern with her strong sense of right and wrong. Megan regularly visited her Aunt from Colorado, caring for her in her later years, gaining wisdom from her advice and helping her accomplish things she had difficulty doing as her body began to fail. Bobbi was very close with her Aunt Laura Brinkman who also preceded her in death and was mourned when she passed on as they spent a lot of time together. Bobbi even took care of Laura’s French poodle, Mischa, when Laura could no longer care for her. Barbara/Bobbi loved Mischa and also helped care for Laura before she left us.

Laura’s son, Jack Burns, her first cousin, stayed with Bobbi intermittently and was an advisor in her later years. Bobbi insisted on Jack’s “opinion” on financial and other matters as his opinion mattered to her, directing her longtime friend, Lesley Black, to “call Jack, to see what he thinks” because “he’s a smart man”. She talked about many people in her family, Tony Merrill, Sydney Merrill, Erick Burdick, Sharon Pardini Green, Uncle Al and so many others. Nick Martin mentions how close he and Aunt Bobbi became as Bobbi made each person feel special and important. People, family and animals mattered to her. She enjoyed her friend, Elsie from Alaska and Diane Halling from Morgan. She loved traveling with family and her nursing friends. They visited many interesting places. She enjoyed visiting Italy and seeing her relatives from the “old country.” She loved decorating her home and had fun ordering items from catalogues, one of her favorite ways to shop.

She attended Our Lady of Lourdes Parish and was a devout Catholic volunteering a lot of time at her church. She was a religious woman and referred to God regularly. She even mentioned she had a few questions for the Lord when she passed over. He has already entertained her questions. She loved the Lord, her family, friends, colleagues, and neighbors. Her next door neighbor, Analisa Rouch, surprised Barb with meals and took in her mail as well as cared for Barb which Bobbi appreciated. There are so many people whose lives she touched and whose lives touched hers, it is impossible to name each one individually but know she cared.

Barbara/Bobbi passed away in Salt Lake City at Life Care Center on Valentines morning, February 14, 2016, peacefully of a terminal illness. Nurses, nursing assistants, physical therapists and other personnel at Life Care Center, including Gina Evans, the social worker were appreciated. Personnel from Inspiration Hospice, Mary, the chaplain and hospice nursing (Robert, Jamie, Judy, and Debbi) and their nurses were very caring, helpful and special. Their tender attention was appreciated including that of Father J.J. John J. Schwall from Our Lady of Lourdes who will bless her grave.

Her family wishes everyone who extended themselves to Barbara/Bobbi to know we are grateful to you. If anyone has been left out, it is not intentional it would be Barbara/Bobbi’s desire to let you know it was an oversight. She would extend a personal thank you, including the people at Brunswick Court who were kind to her. Those left behind know who you are.

A Memorial Service will be held in her honor at 11:00 am at Wasatch Lawn Mortuary on 3401 South Highland Drive (approximately 1500 East) in Salt Lake City on Saturday, February 20, 2016, phone (801)466-8687. Interment will take place in the adjoining cemetery at approximately 12:15 pm where the final resting place for her body will be next to her son, David Burdick. God bless and keep you safe until you too have the opportunity to greet the loving arms of our Master. We thank God for sending Barb/Bobbi to bless our lives. She will be missed.