Edward Joseph Burdiek

Edward Joseph Burdiek, 63, of Topeka, passed into the presence of our Savior on Sunday morning, November 19, 2023, at home with his family by his side. Ed fought valiantly against all the evil forms in which cancer presented itself.  His love for family and zest for life was evident in everything he did or said. Ed’s smile and sparkling blue eyes are imprinted forever on our hearts.  

Ed was born on September 6, 1960, to Regis and Lucille (Becker) Burdiek in Horton, Kansas. He was the fifth of seven children to bless their union. Ed graduated from Wetmore High School in 1978 where he was a captain of the football team and Homecoming King. He graduated from Kaw Valley Vocational Technical School, earned a scuba certificate from Washburn University, a black-water scuba diver and steel ultrasound accreditations. Ed proudly served the traveling public as a Kansas Department of Transportation, federally licensed bridge inspector. He retired in October of 2022 after 43 years and 10 months of diligent attention to safety and structure. If Ed put his name on it, it was a job well done. 

So much of Ed’s larger-than-life personality was formed by his upbringing on the family dairy farm . The stories he told of hard work, fellowship, and perseverance were likened to the grit of pioneers. Ed loved God’s creation and cherished the great outdoors. He was an excellent and avid hunter and fisherman. It brought him great joy to share this love with others, providing many with an opportunity to experience nature in a way they would not have had otherwise. For more than 20 years Ed bred and raised AKC and UKC registered French Brittany Spaniels. His tender care and meticulous selection in characteristics produced the highest quality gun dogs and family companions. Ed loved being able to make this adventure a family affair, passing along a love of animals and how important the responsibility of caring for a living being was to his daughters with Jayme right alongside him. Over the years Ed proudly placed dogs in homes all across the country, at least in those that met his high standards.  Ed rode Harley-Davidson motorcycles for over 50 years. The freedom that came from the sun on his face and the wind in his hair was intoxicating. He also shared this love with his three girls as he bought a learner bike and taught them how to ride too. Ed and Jayme rode off on their honeymoon in 1989 on his FXRT. The vivid color in which Ed lived life is too great and too grand to adequately list here. He was one of a kind… an eclectic blend of the best characteristics that America had to offer. He loved the land and the people of it. At their home in rural, west Topeka, he planted an orchard, asparagus patch, and an annual garden that fed family, friends, and neighbors alike. Another source of joy for him was surprising people with goodie bags of fruit and garden produce he had grown. He would often say, “This is sure a pretty place!”. It has been said … It takes a noble man to plant a seed for a tree that will someday give shade to people he may never meet… Ed was that man. 

Ed married Jayme Lorene Bickell on May 13, 1989, in Berryton, Kansas. They opened their hearts and home to many friends and family over the years. So much so, that many of those friends became family. Ed and Jayme were best friends and stayed madly in love for all the 34+ years they had together. Their union was blessed by two daughters, Emily and Abigail. Ed was exceedingly proud of his girls and supported them in all their endeavors. Ed is survived by Jayme, Emily and son-in-law Matt Stockdale, Abbey, and his last French Brittany, Buddy. He is survived by four sisters and one brother; Estelle and Bob Boeger, Rose Ann and Rick Hladky, Dan and Marie Burdiek, Susan Burdiek and Mitch Behymer, Amy and Ron Hill, along with many nieces, nephews, cousins, friends, and neighbors. 

Come and celebrate a life well lived with the family. The visitation will be 6:00pm-8:00pm Friday, November 24 at Brennan-Mathena Funeral Home, 800 SW 6th Ave. Topeka, KS 66603.  Funeral services will be 10:00am Saturday, November 25 at Topeka Baptist Church, 4500 SW Gage Blvd, Topeka, KS 66610.  Interment will follow at Pleasant Hill Cemetery in Berryton, Kansas. Memorial contributions may be made to Topeka Baptist Church or the Edward Burdiek Memorial Washburn School of Business Scholarship and sent in care of the funeral home. 

Rejoice always and delight in your faith; be unceasing and persistent in prayer; in every situation [no matter what the circumstances] be thankful and continually give thanks to God; for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus.  I Thessalonians 5:16-18 AMP