Obituary

The Rev. Charles Sherman Burger departed this life on Feb. 3, 2023, in Boise, Idaho. Born on May 29, 1938, in St. Louis, Missouri, he was the son of Joseph Eagleton Burger and Eleanor Dorothea (Kleinschmidt) Burger.

He was a graduate of Trinity College, Hartford, Connecticut, where he was a member of Delta Kappa Epsilon fraternity and served as chairman of the Campus Community Chest charity drive his senior year. Following his graduation in 1960, he was employed by the Hawaiian Electric Co. as an advertising specialist in the promotion department. His military service included tours of duty with the 25th Infantry "Tropic Lightning" Division at Schofield Barracks and the 227th Engineer Battalion, Hawaii Army National Guard at Fort Ruger.

In 1963 he enrolled at the Episcopal Church Divinity School of the Pacific in Berkeley, California, receiving the Master of Divinity degree in 1966. That same year he was ordained to the priesthood and assigned to be first vicar of St. Michael's and All Angels Church in Lihue, Kauai. In 1968 Fr. Burger was called to be rector of Holy Innocents Church, Lahaina, Maui. While there, he also served as President of the Lahaina Restoration Foundation, President of the Arc of Maui County (concerned with people who have intellectual or developmental disabilities), was appointed to the Maui County Liquor Commission, and was a chaplain to the Lahainaluna football team. During his tenure at Holy Innocents the parish built a new parish hall, established a pre-school, added a second story to the beach-front Rectory, and constructed a new administration building. Fr. Burger moved to Nevada in 1983, where he was rector of St. Paul's Church, Elko, and priest-in-charge of St. Barnabas' Church, Wells.

He and the former Leah Diane Lowson were married at St. Stephen's Church, Reno, in 1984. In 1985 the Rev. Burger accepted a call to be rector of St. Thomas Episcopal Church in Sun Valley, Idaho, where he served until 1997. There he served on the board of directors of Hospice of the Wood River Valley, and in 1986 instituted the annual St. Francis Blessing of the Animals, which has since become a communitywide event. When the Rev. Burger retired from parish ministry in 1997, the Burgers became full-time RVers, traveling throughout the western United States and Canada. They also traveled extensively in the British Isles, Scandinavia, continental Europe, Russia, Egypt and Israel. In 2012 the Burgers settled in Garden City, Idaho, and became members of St. Michael's Cathedral in Boise.

The Rev. Burger was preceded in death by his parents, his brother Joseph Burger, and his son Andrew Kealoha Burger. He is survived by his wife of 39 years, Diane; by sisters Dorothy Lesniak, Marjory Burger and Lynnie Long; two brothers, Robert Burger and John Burger; six children, Robert Burger, Christopher Burger, Michael Burger, Matthew Burger, Amanda Burger and Kim Dias; 10 grandchildren; two stepchildren, James Lowson and Anne Queirolo; and four stepgrandchildren.