Fay Ann Krulish was born on May 31, 1931, in Manhattan. An only child, Fay was raised in New York City by her parents, George and May Krulish. She attended Julia Richmond High School where she was captain of the volleyball team. She also volunteered as a nurse’s aide, caring for cancer patients at Memorial Sloan Kettering Hospital. This left a deep impression on her and led her to a life of charitable work.
After graduating from the Katherine Gibbs School, she was hired as the executive secretary to the president of Local 6 Hotel Restaurant & Club Employees and Bartenders Union.
At a YMCA dance, she met her future husband, Dick Burkhart, a Navy corpsman, stationed at The Brooklyn Navy Yard. That night while walking her home, he proposed, and they married upon his returning home from the Korean War.
They raised five sons, Rick, George, Kyle, Jay, and David. Though she was a stay-at-home mom and was very active at church, serving on the vestry as well as other church committees and charitable organizations, Fay was family-focused. She was heavily involved in all her sons’ activities and never missed a soccer, track, baseball, basketball, or football game.
They moved to Rye from Scarsdale in 1969, and lived there until 1985. Three of their sons graduated from Rye High School, two went through Midland School. Fay and Dick were the parents of the year at the Midland School in Rye in 1976. She was an active member of the TWIG and Christ Church in Rye as well.
The family lived at 145 Milton Road in the home built by renowned architect David Adler.
Every summer, Fay and Dick packed up all the kids and all the dogs and summered at their cottage on Sebago Lake, Maine. During this time, she opened The Burkhart Art Gallery in Bridgeton, Maine, where she exhibited works by some world-famous artists as well as young up-and-comers.
After moving to Florida, she was a member of St. Anne of Grace Church where she continued her church ministries including the St. Elizabeth’s Guild, sewing hats and booties for preemies.
Surrounded by her many friends and family, Fay passed away on Sunday, July 7 from a stroke. She was 93.
Fay was predeceased by her parents, George and May Krulish, her husband, Dick, and their son Rick.
Left to cherish her memory are her sons, daughters-in-law, 10 grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren.