The Life of Manfred N Burchard
Graveside services for Fred N. Burchard, 73, husband of Ruth S. Burchard, will be at 10:30 on Wednesday, April 7, at Lafayette Memorial Park. Funeral services will be held Thursday, 2:00 p.m., at Asbury United Methodist Church at 101 Live Oak Blvd. Sr. Pastor Ed Boyd and Rev. Stephen Fife, Associate Pastor, will conduct the services.
Fred was born in Riga, Latvia in 1936, and immigrated to America when he was 17 to finish high school and then attend LSU. Fred became a geo-physicist and over the years worked for various oil companies, to include Shell and Teneco. After that, he worked as an insurance sales associate for several years until he retired to devote time to travelling and volunteer work.
Fred, a high-spirited, inquisitive, and deeply sincere man, remained faithful in Christ throughout his life. He loved nothing more in recent years than to prepare and deliver Sunday School lessons, or to sit with his wife, Ruthie and friends during holidays to share meals and discuss current events or religious topics in as much depth as possible. Fred was not one to skim the surface of life. As one of his best friends said, “When Fred said something you knew he had put a great deal of thought into it. Everything he said, he believed with all of his heart. I have never met someone who had as much enthusiasm for life. The things others see as commonplace, he does not take lightly. For Fred, relationships and family bonds were of upmost importance. He was uniquely interested in persons and details. In fact, there was no way I could hold my own in an intellectual conversation with him, but he never made it about himself; therefore, all people around him were made to feel comfortable. From a standpoint of heart, he was almost childlike. He was very skilled at engaging in conversations with people of all ages and backgrounds because of this skill.”
Survivors include his wife of 30 years, Ruth S. Burchard of Lafayette; three step-children, Ira Lee (Beverly) Martin of Houston, Susan (Eldon) Cunningham of Tomball, Vicki (Dan) Hester of San Antonio; Six step-grand children: Michon (Jesse) Combs, Fred Burmeister, Greg Burmeister, Greg (Stephanie) Hester, Lauren (Oliver) Belcher, and Brandon Martin.
Delhomme Funeral Home, 1101 Bertrand Drive, Lafayette, LA (337) 235-9449, is in charge of the arrangements in Lafayette, LA.
