|
Brendan Burke always put others
first
By Jay Turner
Citizen Staff
For the past
couple of months until his tragic death in an automobile
accident in Indiana last weekend, Brendan Burke, the son of
National Hockey League executive Brian Burke, became the public
face of homosexuality in hockey — in part by default but also in
many ways by his own choosing.
 |
|
Brendan Burke |
Armed with the
undying love and support of his entire family, Brendan, who was
known as “Burkie” to the players on the top-ranked Miami
University (OH) hockey team that he managed — or “Moose,” as his
dad often called him — opened up about being gay in a widely
publicized article on ESPN.com, and from that point on he became
known as a courageous “trailblazer” and an inspiration to
millions worldwide.
Yet for the 21
years that he spent largely outside of the spotlight, including
more than a decade in Canton, Brendan was just as important
being himself — a loving son, grandson and brother who put
everyone else first, and a “smart, handsome and friendly” young
man who could charm even the most hard-hearted of souls,
according to his sister Molly.
“He was just
remarkable,” said Molly, 18, in a telephone interview Sunday
night. “I’d be hard pressed to find somebody else out there
who’s got the heart and the personality that Brendan had.”
In addition to
his father and Molly, Brendan leaves behind his mother, Kerry
Burke, of Canton; two older siblings, Katie and Patrick; and two
little sisters from his father’s second marriage: 5-year-old
Mairin and 4-year-old Gracie, who live in Toronto.
Molly said
Brendan was close with all of them, including the two youngest
and their mother, Jennifer. He and Gracie even share the same
birthday, and he had recently gone to Toronto to visit with them
before returning to school in Ohio.
In fact, Molly
said her brother had the “best last year he could have asked
for,” highlighted by his sister Katie’s wedding in August and an
unforgettable experience at the NHL Winter Classic at Fenway
Park in January. He also received a ton of positive feedback
after the ESPN article came out in November — including from his
father, a larger than life figure in the world of pro hockey who
publicly supported his son from the moment he learned he was
gay.
And Brendan
embraced his newfound role as spokesman, although by no means
did he let it define him, according to Molly.
Not only did
he have far-reaching interests ranging from hockey to politics;
he was also a “diligent, bright and enthusiastic” student, and
an empathetic friend who had an almost uncanny ability to pick
people up when they were down.
“Ever since he
was little he took care of me,” Molly said. “He’s always taken
care of me.”
Anthony
Rotella, one of Brendan’s childhood friends from St. John’s
School in Canton, described him as the “kind of kid that made
you feel like what you were saying was important, even if it
wasn’t.”
“Even from the
age of 10, it was impossible to ignore the aura of charisma that
surrounded him,” Rotella said, adding that he had a sense from a
young age that Brendan was “going to go places.”
“He just drew
people to him,” said Molly, noting that the large funeral
planned for Tuesday was exactly what he would have wanted, “And
everyone just really misses him.”
February 11, 2010
Return
to Past Articles Page
|
