JUST HAD THESE GUYS ON MY MIND AND WANTED TO SAY, YOU WILL NEVER BE FORGOTTEN. WE LOVE YOU GUYS! SHANNON
OH, PS. FOR THOSE WHO KNEW MY MOTHER, PHYLLIS LEONA.... http://www.quicktopic.com/38/H/Exm9evdWv2R IT IS PHYLLIS LEONA CHILDS CALDWELL AT THIS WEBSITE. LOVE TO ALL, SHANNON

Edited by author 01-23-2007 11:54 PM
I miss ray and michael very much. My mother also has recently gone to be with the Lord. even though we physically miss them all, there is so much peace in knowing they are with the Lord just over the rainbow waiting for us to join them. not long and we will all be together again. i like to think we are like in a waiting room of some kind. we have to pass this very hard test to make it past this waiting room and rejoin our loved ones. as great as it will be to join them and to see the prophets and etc... nothing compares to being with our Messiah and our Father. I look forward. Love, peace, and joy to all (especualy those who are missing a loved one.) my love to the whole Burkhardt family and a special hello to jody. shannon josowild@msn.com

(family friend)It has been a year now since Mr. Ray has come home. This past sunday the sermon was on Job. Throughout the sermon I could not help to remember Mr. Ray. Though Mr. Ray, like all of us, has stumbled he has remained faithful to his heavenly Father.

for the next person that leaves a message on this topic please give any relations to the burkhardts by the name of bob burkhardt and marge burkhardt and jane wells if anyy relation to these peoplee you are somehow related to me please try to find information on theseee people

I LOVED RAY VERY MUCH. I REMEMBER WHEN EDDIE AND I FIRST CAME TO BE MEMBERS OF SEVERN COVENANT CHURCH AND HOW RAY SAID TO ME WELCOME HOME. HE WAS ALWAYS AN ENCOURGEMENT TO ME AND MY FAMILY. HE NEVER THOUGHT OF HIMSELF - ALWAYS OF OTHERS. NANCY I WILL ALWAYS HAVE THE UTMOST RESPECT FOR YOU AND FOR YOUR FAMILY. I MISS RAY BUT KNOWING THAT I WILL SEE HIM AGAIN IS THE BEST THING I CAN LOOK FORWARD TO. JUST THINK - RAY AND EDDIE ARE WITH JESUS FACE TO FACE EVERYDAY. THAT IS SPECIAL!

I loved and had a GREAT RESPECTED for Raymond Burkhardt. He was what I would call, "Trutly a Man Among Men" If ever I have see one it was Ray.He also was a "Sincer Man" Son tested and with out wax. Some don't know what that means, but Ray did.And Nancy; is also a woman among women.She is writen about in the Scuripture. Proverbs 31 Her husband is respected at the city gates, where his seat among the elders of the land. Her children arise and call her blessed;her husband also , and he praises her. Then there Steve. I have but one word for a son like Steve Burkhardt. WOW!!! And for Jodi the word for her; She is a Trip,a good trip.and for Kandis, What a Beautiful Woman. Daugther,wife mother and friend.My prayer for all the Burkhardt family is,Jude 2

To my friend Ray, resquiescat in pace. Amen.

I will never forget Nancy's tribute to Ray at the funeral: that she was proud to be married to Ray Burkhardt. What a testimony and example of respect for a husband! I will also never forget how Ray loved Nancy and gave himself for her: not just in spurts, but steadily and consistently over a lifetime.

Praise God, Ray's legacy didn't end on Dec 25th.

I loved my grandpa so much. For the last four years he had suffered with a serious brain tumor. I am glad he is visiting my Uncle Mike, King David, Jesus, and others. Just like my dad said, "He is just on a long vacation." I will see him again some day. I will never forget the time in the hospital when he looked so bad. One day he moved back home because the hospital could not help any more. A couple days later he was moved off the hospital bed and on to the couch. I thought he was getting better but he was just getting worse. Days later he was moved back to the hospital bed. On Christmas Eve we slep over my grandparents house. The next morning at about 5:45 AM he passed away. It wasn't a very good Christmas but I got cool toys to play with. I remember when we were out back of his house washing his car, which he said would be mine someday. It was a nice day outside that day. Later after washing the car we took it out for a joy ride up and down the drive way. He kept smoking the tires for me at least every five seconds. Then we called it a day. I never had so much fun! I will miss him so much.

I'm Uncle Norman, the last surviving brother of Ray's mother, and Michael's Great Uncle. Ray was more then a nephew to me, he was like a brother. We grew up together, played in the dirt, laughed, fought, and sometimes cryed. When we were young I aggrivated him by repeatedly playing the song Harbor Lights on the piano. Finally we exchanged blows and he ran home. (next door) I followed him and told him I forgave him, and when he let his guard down I socked him in the jaw and ran home (next door) with Ray hot on my heals. As I entered my house I slammed the door in his face and his arm went through the glass and cut him severely. I'm sorry unto this very day. I Love you Ray.
LOVE YOU ALL ESPECIALLY JODI UNCLE NORMAN

Mrs. Nancy,

We are so sorry for your loss, but we know that there is great joy in entering the presence of God. Mr. Ray is happier and healthier than he has ever been. Thank you both for being wonderful examples of loving eachother through it all. Our Prayers are with you!

Dearest Nancy,
   The sobering sweetness of life is something you and Ray have always embraced with grace and class because of your unwavering expectation (Faith, Hope and Love) that God will do all He said He would do, and more. The verse that comes to me concerning you and Ray is this:
 "Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, neither has it entered into the heart of man, the things God has prepared for them that love Him" 1 Corinthians 2:9
   Everyone who knew Ray is better for it. The stability of comittment and love he brought into every situation is of ongoing comfort to those of us who had the pleasure of being around him...and of course his sense of humor was wonderful.
   I'll never forget years ago at a particular meeting
(I think it was a Joint Meeting) Ray was sharing from Genesis about God's creation, and showed us how that God created "every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth" (1:25) and he added by saying,
"You see right here, there are plenty of creeps here on the earth we have to deal with.." and then proceeded to speak from Romans 1:23 how that those who have turned away from God begin to worship the creeping things (or creeps)...
   I never forgot it because it was during the time we were all trying to awaken from our sleep concerning Christian involvement in the Political arena, and the point Ray made through vivid illustration was about the struggle we face as Believers, a struggle that has never changed. It's up to us to stand against "the creeps" or else no one will.
   I never forgot that because it was an example of how Ray could wrap humor and simlicity round very weighty issues of life and death.
  And last but by no means least, I have always felt loved and accepted by you and Ray...The years of unconditional love and encouragement you gave to me and so many others is in no small part seeds that have blossomed to bear MUCH FRUIT that will remain. Tears of emotion may be our portion at this time, but we do not cry as those who have no hope. We cry because some things are worth our tears, and certainly the earthly loss of two such as Ray and Michael are cause for our increased intensity of emotion and rememberance of what is important in Life.
Love Always, Joann Pappas

I knew Mr. Ray for all of my 16 years of living. He always gave me a hug everytime I saw him and treated me as though I was his own. I remmeber going to Florida one year with him and Mrs. Nancy, he was the popsicle man. He would call the kids and give us all a popsicle. Even up until the end he still remembered that. I would come to church, and I can still remember him asking me if I wanted a popsicle. Mr. Ray always would comment if I looked down, if I had talked to Jesus lately. Mr. Ray was family to me, and the rest of my family. I love him and miss him. However, it is such a comfort to know he is up with my Heavenly Father. Love Always, Lauren Church

Dear Aunt Adelaide & Nancy,
First of all, Nancy, it was so nice to speak with you this evening, you truly are and have always been a Godly inspiration to me. Thank you for telling me about the web site. I have been viewing the site all evening, and I am so moved by the beautiful tribute to Ray. I am saddened by our familiy's great loss, but stand firm in the hope that we will all be reunited in God's perfect timing. I know my dad will be so thankful that this tribute to Ray is available, and he will be so blessed for the opportunity, as I am, to view this tribute. Steve, what an awesome speaker you are, I am truly inspired by what you said, and how you said it. You are also one of your dads "legacies". May God continue to bless each one of you.
Your cousin Carol (Florida)

I have long thought of Ray as "my beloved son in whom I am well pleased". I know that our precious Lord didn't make any perfect human beings but Ray was, in this earthly mother's opinion, as pleasing as a human son could be. He was a well behaved child and grew up to be a fine man who loved the Lord just as I do. I could not have wished for any better life for him. God answered all my prayers for Ray life, and gave him the ability to express his love for the Lord and reach out and touch other lives in a way that I have not been able to do myself.
The greatest blessing God gave to Ray is his beautiful wife Nancy. Nancy is beautiful in every way, especially in her loving and understanding heart.
I miss him very much but I know that I will be with him again someday.

Edited by author 01-11-2006 01:05 PM
Dear Nancy and Family,

We just heard the news about Ray. barb and I express our sincerest sympathy to the Burkhardt family, in your time of sorrow. We know you take solace in knowing that Ray and your son are in the tender care of God's loving hands.
Let me say some words in rememberrance of Ray's life, and my association with him throughout our years at goddard. When I first met Ray, back in the 60's, my first impression was that, HERE WAS A TRUE FRIEND. we worked side-by-side on many projects throughout the years. Our most important job together turned out to be maintaining, upgrading and running the High Capacity Centrifuge.
Ray was MR. HCC. What was so good about Ray was the fact that he was the best technical troublesooter NSI and ManTech ever had. Give him an electrical schematic diagram of any system, no matter how unfamiliar or complex, and stand back and watch his wizardy. He delved into it, and tried to explain to us naive folks how the circuit worked. Typically, we just listened, not knowing too much about what was going on. But, we were smart enough to know that Ray knew his stuff. "Okay, Ray, now you've told how it's supposed to work, can you fix it?" He never let us down. He made everyone around him shine a little brighter, and he made all of our jobs a whole lot easier. We thought the world of his technical expertise!
Even so, as good as Ray was at his job,he was even better as a friend and a man of integrity. He became my most trustwothy friend and co-worker. I could tell from the way he talked about his family, friends and church that, HERE WAS A SPECIAL MAN. He adored you, Nancy, and was always proud of his family's accomplishments. He always spoke of how important it was to have his family near him for mutual support. we knew that he was never happier then when working alongside your sons, building houses, garden shop buildings, and your palce in Western Maryland. Just listening to him recite his accomplishments made me feel sort'a tired and lazy. He was a man of gusto in his work ethic. He was always up to the task, and we could see him studying construction 'how-to" books during his lunch hour, He was self-taught.
If you get the idea that we thought the world of him, you're right. A better co-worker and more reliable friend could not be had. We know you'll miss his presence every day. Thank goodness you can be certain he's where he always wanted to go.
Love Barb & Jim Fonner