Remembering Ken Burger, 1949-2015

We’re saddened this morning by the loss of longtime Post and Courier columnist Ken Burger, who died Tuesday following a long battle with prostate cancer.

Let’s remember him by being inspired from reading his outstanding, poignant writing, such as ​this sage advice from Baptized in Sweet Tea, a collection of columns published in 2011:

1.  Always return phone calls:  “Calling people back, you see, is a sign of respect, even if they don’t deserve it.”

2.  Mind your manners:  “Every time I left the house, my mother used to holler out the back door for me to “be sweet,” no matter where I was going.  Those two simple words summarized my parents’ expectations for my behavior.”

3.  Don’t be afraid to fail: “It’s not that you fail, or even how often you fail, but how you handle failure that ultimately determines our success.”

One of our favorite columns came in January 2011 when he translated some Southern words:

Y’all — a group of people

All y’all — The plural of y’all

Wholenother — something else altogether

Slapdab — in the middle; or smackdab

Co-cola — any soft drink.

Ken Burger, 1949-2015. Rest in peace.  We’ll miss your humor and zest for life.