Keith J. Burmeister

Keith Jerome Burmeister passed away Saturday, December 7, at age 93, after a brief illness, while listening to a recording of Mitsuko Uchida playing Mozart while holding his niece’s hand. Keith, a resident of Plymouth Place in LaGrange Park since 2017, was before then a life-long Southside Chicagoan. Keith enlisted in the army as a young man and spent his free time exploring Europe from his base in Germany. He used his GI Bill benefits to earn a master’s degree in English from Loyola University. In his eighties, he could still recite the opening prologue of the Canterbury Tales, surprising everyone around the dinner table. Keith began his career as a high school English teacher, later became a Guidance Counselor and finally a Vice Principal at Tilden High School in Chicago. Keith and his beloved wife Arlene, a high school History teacher, had no biological children but between them had thousands. After retiring ahead of Arlene, Keith became the chef of the family, hosting on Thanksgiving for years. The two traveled extensively, visiting every National Park and every continent of the world. They were avid opera, theater and symphony fans and frequent museum and library visitors. They would go to the north side to the Old Town School of Folk Music and the west side to see Ballet Folklorico. Music was an important feature in Keith’s life. He began attending the Lyric Opera with his mother as a young child. When he met friends in the pub at Plymouth Place on Tuesdays for the weekly musical performances, his only complaint was the talking during the performance. He rarely missed any of the many musical events at Plymouth Place. He was an avid chess player until very recently, enjoying weekly games with his friend Don from Plymouth, nephew Jerome, online with his nephew Chris and when possible, with his nephew Quinn. Keith also enjoyed the outdoors and camping, especially with his nephews, until into his nineties, making at least one yearly trek to Starved Rock with his nephew Dennis and his brothers. In later years, Keith regularly visited his brother Al and his wife Dorothy and sister Mary Alice for tea Keith is survived by one brother, Al (Dorothy) Burmeister and too many nieces and nephews and great-nieces and great-nephews to count. He was preceded in death by his wife Arlene and his sister Mary Alice.

Resting at Thompson & Kuenster Funeral Home, 5570 W. 95th St. in Oak Lawn where Services will take place Friday, December 13th at 12:00 noon.

Entombment Holy Sepulchre Cemetery.

Visitation Friday December 13th from 10:00 am until the time of Services at 12:00 noon.

 In lieu of flowers, donations may be directed The Alzheimer’s Association.