Thomas "Tom" Burdick
Thomas “Tom” Edward Burdick slipped away from the bounds of this earth Tuesday, March 26, 2024. He lived at Pattison Lake in Olympia, WA for over 32 years, where he also died peacefully after kidney failure and a short stint with cancer.
Arrangements have been made at Woodlawn Funeral Home in Lacey for his cremation. Tom’s generous decision to be an organ donor resulted in a successful cornea transplant that profoundly transformed a 73-year-old’s life through his gift of sight.
Tom was surrounded in love, peace and God’s grace by his daughter, Sarah (Burdick) Desir; his son, Matthew “Matt” Burdick; his younger sister, Jenny (Burdick) Holbert of Fredericksburg, VA; and his older sister and brother-in-law, Dianna (Burdick) and Greg Moore.
Tom was born to Eloise Ina (Brownson) Burdick and James Beven Burdick in Juneau, AK June 15, 1955. Eloise and her three children moved to Monona in 1959, after her divorce and polio recovery. The family moved to Waukon in 1960 and Eloise married Harry Meyer August 29, 1964.
Tom graduated from Waukon Senior High School in 1973, where he was active in theatre, choir, and blowing things up in Chemistry and Physics classes. He attended Iowa State University for two years, majoring in Mechanical Engineering. In the summer of 1974, he and his friend, Jeff Slifka, rode from Waukon to Juneau, AK by motorcycle for a month.
He moved to Wahpeton, ND where he co-owned/ operated Big Dipper Enterprises in 1975. November 26, 1976 he married Linda Olmstead in Fargo, ND. They lived in Breckenridge, MN for a few years as Linda pursued a career in nursing, later having three children together.
In the early 1980s their young family moved to Stillwater, OK so Tom could complete his college degree. He graduated from Oklahoma State University in 1984, with a Bachelor of Science degree in Fire Protection Engineering. Linda and he then moved their family to Renton, WA, where Tom began his career with Grinnell Fire Protection Systems, later going into business for himself.
Tom was anchor and writer for the local cable show “Forward Focus” in the 1990s, concerned with environmental politics, particularly advocating for legislation on the states’ growth management act. He also campaigned for local politicians including Patty Murray, elected to the State Senate in 1989; and Sylvia Skratek, elected to the State Senate in 1991.
February 13, 1992 Tom and Linda divorced; he did not remarry. Tom then moved closer to his family in Olympia, WA and began working independently designing, installing and repairing industrial equipment. He was a member of Saint Matthews Lutheran Church in Renton, WA; attended Lutheran Church of the Good Shephard in Olympia, WA; and was a life member of MENSA International.
Tom’s passion was nurturing his family and developing deep friendships including Rick Stoddard, Ray Parker, Glenn Grimstad, Jeff Slifka and Brad Larkin. He loved living at the lake, camping, and hiking in nature. Tom had an extraordinary mind, one who could argue most any position of politics, Revolutionary War history, the thermodynamics of ceramics, classic novels, or perhaps just grilling a steak. Throughout his life, travel was very important to him and his family, and he accomplished a Tiger Cruise with his son, Marine Corporal Matt Burdick, from Hawaii to San Diego, CA in 2010.
Tom was preceded in death by his ex-wife, Linda Olmstead; his mother, Eloise (Brownson) Meyer; his father, James “Jim” Burdick; and his step-father, Harry Meyer.
Tom is survived by his children, Sarah (Burdick) and Roudy Desir, Matthew Burdick, and Kathleen (Burdick) Gave; and his sisters, Pastors Dianna (Burdick) and Greg Moore, Colonel Jenny (Burdick) Holbert (US Marine Corps, Retired), Ruth (Meyer) and Dennis Provost, and Julie (Meyer) Wood.
