Obituary of Roman Burda

Our beloved Roman Tadeusz Burda passed away unexpectedly on Thursday, June 30, 2022 at the age of 73 in St. Petersburg, Florida. He demonstrated strength and bravery in his battle with lung cancer, following his doctors' advice and orders; but in the end, even with the cancer in remission, that medicine ultimately let him down.

Roman was born in Poland where he studied and earned a master's degree in physical education. He worked as a coach and teacher for a time, then left his home country to escape the communist nation's politics, arriving in the United States in 1984. Roman always stayed physically fit as he maintained an active lifestyle with biking, swimming, walking and weights whenever he was able to do so.

Roman married his wife, Dorota, on October 15, 2005 in St. Petersburg, Florida. They were happily married for 17 years. Roman was a dedicated husband who shared the housework and loved to work with his hands. He remodeled the kitchen, laid new floor tiles, and even built some of the cabinetry himself. No physical labor was too much for him and he eagerly responded to any challenge, even if that meant learning new techniques he found on Google or YouTube.

Roman was a giving and loving family man who was loved by his friends and neighbors. He and his wife, Dorota, both loved sightseeing and exploring nature, and traveled together to the Grand Canyon, Las Vegas, and many other locations around Florida and the United States. They enjoyed going to the beach and walking for miles by the ocean. Roman also loved to spoil his cat, a gray tabby named Kitty, and treated her like his child. And he especially loved spending time with his neighbors' (Dan and Elizabeth's) children, whom he treated as his own grandchildren. He loved to teach them new words in Polish and swim with them in the pool and he was a great "grand-daddy" figure to them.

Roman loved to garden and keep his yard pristine and well-maintained. But one of his most beloved hobbies was watching televised sports, especially tennis, volleyball, European soccer tournaments, and all Olympic sporting events. Roman was fascinated by the Universe and eager to learn all he could about it. More than anything, Roman had a great mind and continually expanded his knowledge. He loved sharing with the world everything he had learned. Often, he would quiz friends, acquaintances, and even strangers on their knowledge of history, geography, and other studies.

His wife, Dorota, step-daughter, Adrianna and her husband, Rob, will all miss Roman dearly. His friends and family will remember Roman as a wonderful man who touched many lives and hearts with his humor, his wisdom, and his love.

A memorial service will be held at A Life Tribute Funeral Home, 5601 Gulfport Blvd, Gulfport, FL., on July 16 at 10:30 a.m. The family will be greeting friends and relatives.