Remembering Bob Burdick, IIAR Piping Handbook Author

Bob Burdick, the Vice President of Bassett Mechanical from 1967 – 2002, longtime IIAR member, first chairman of the IIAR piping committee, and one of the original authors of the IIAR piping handbook, has passed away. Most of Bob’s working life was spent at Bassett Mechanical, where he became a specialist in ammonia refrigeration.

He had a passion not only for selling refrigeration and cooling systems but also for teaching customers how to properly operate them. He loved being on the job site, talking and joking with all the people installing his systems. He also loved attending ASHRAE and IIAR conferences, where he could interact with fellow colleagues and come home with up-to-date industry information and with new jokes, which he was a master at telling.

Robert (Bob) Sylvester Burdick died on April 25, 2024, at the age of 84. He was born in Beloit, WI, on May 18, 1940, to Sylvester and Ruth (Gotham) Burdick. He loved growing up in Beloit and later wrote a memoir about his experiences. Bob studied Mechanical Engineering at UW Madison, where he met Glenda (Boyer) when she was looking for a bridge partner. They were married in 1963 and enjoyed 61 years of marriage, living primarily in Green Bay, WI.

Bob was a tireless family man and hockey dad, traveling to and scheduling youth hockey games in three states. A history enthusiast, especially Abraham Lincoln, the Civil War, and World War II, this passion led him to restore a 1947 Willy’s jeep to WWII specs, ship it to Normandy, France, and drive it to Belgium on the Liberty Road with three friends and son, Clark. Later in life, he enjoyed writing, publishing two memoirs, trying his hand at poetry, and building models of military ships. Bob was preceded in death by his parents and his brother Ronald and is survived by his brother Frank.

He will be deeply missed by his wife Glenda, sons Clark (Heather) Burdick, Greg (Sarah) Burdick, Raymond (Kate) Burdick, grandchildren Eve (Cael Foster) Burdick, Benjamin Burdick, Olivia Burdick, Caroline Burdick, Faye Burdick, nieces, nephews, and many good friends.