November 20, 1949 - January 25, 2020

 

Kathleen Burdick
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Kathleen (Kathy) Ann Burdick (née Zwilling), 70, took her own life on January 25, 2020 after a long battle with bi-polar disorder and addiction. We ask that you open your heart and offer compassion without judgment for those that suffer from mental illness. In her 35 years as a nurse, Kathy offered this compassion to fellow sufferers through her work on the mental health unit of the St. Cloud Hospital.

Kathy is survived by husband, David Burdick; children, Steven Burdick, Suzanne Campbell and Rachel Gupta; grandchildren, Sameer, Arnav and Arun Gupta and Nora and Alma Campbell; brothers Richard, Pat, Dennis, Daniel, Virgil and Robert; and sisters Irene Kucala, Carol Williams and Annette Bieniek. She was preceded in death by mother and father, Celestine and Marie (Frericks) Zwilling; sister, Joann Martin; brother Roger; and grandchild Akash Gupta.

Kathy was born on November 20, 1949 to Celestine and Marie Zwilling. She was raised with eleven brothers and sisters and left home to study and become a licensed practical nurse. She married David Burdick, a registered nurse, in 1969 and they settled in St. Cloud. In 1970, they welcomed their first child, Steven. Their second child, Suzanne, arrived in 1976 and their third child, Rachel, was welcomed in 1983. Kathy worked at the St. Cloud Hospital, where she was beloved by staff and patients alike for her friendly disposition and sense of humor.

Kathy loved children. At one point, she owned and operated an in-home daycare center. When her own children had grown, she bribed her sisters’ grandchildren to be surrogate grandchildren to her while she waited, almost patiently, for grandchildren of her own.

Kathy had an enormous sense of fun. She loved laughing, telling old stories, and playing board games and poker. She disliked discomfort of any kind. It was always easy to buy her presents, just get her a cozy set of pajamas and she was content.

Kathy had strong faith in God that sustained her for many years through her difficulties with bipolar disorder. She often put her praying skills to work for others, as well. Whenever you were troubled, you could trust that Kathy would pray for you and contact the nuns of the Poor Clare’s Monastery and get them to work right away on your behalf.

As a tribute to Kathy, her family hopes that being open about her suicide may help others to seek help or cope with similar losses.

In lieu of flowers, please send donations to The Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance at www.dbsalliance.org.

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