Earl Burgdorf
Earl William Burgdorf, age 78, of St. Louis, MO, passed away peacefully on August 6, 2026, with his family by his side after a courageous battle with pancreatic cancer. Born on January 7, 1948, in St. Louis, MO, he was preceded in death by his parents, August W. and Ethel M. Burgdorf, and his beloved wife of 32 years, Mary Ellen (Jones) Burgdorf.
Earl is survived by his loving wife of 23 years, Cindi (Beam Casey) Burgdorf; his children, Margery Spack (Peter) and Micah Burgdorf (Lindsay Barth); step-son, Kevin Casey (Erin); and many cherished family members and friends.
Earl would often call himself (pardon his French) “an ornery son of a b—.” That is to say, he was stubborn—but Earl’s version of stubbornness was really determination against all odds. That drive brought him a State Championship in wrestling while attending Normandy High School (Class of 1967) and led him to serve his country in the U.S. Navy as a submariner aboard the USS Pollack (SSN-603), USS Quillback (SS-424), and USS Shark (SSN-591).
Earl was determined to make a difference. After his military service, he began a 40-year career at Honeywell and raised his children with Mary Ellen in St. Louis. When their home became too small, Earl personally designed and built the second story with his own hands, enlisting the whole family to help—including his mother, Ethel, who helped install wall insulation.
Earl loved extra-strong coffee “that Jesus could walk on.” With a cup in hand, he was always ready to lend a helping hand—whether volunteering on church mission trips, serving as a scout leader and swim instructor for the Boy Scouts of America, or regularly donating blood (where he’d joke that the mosquitoes simply loved him).
His determination shone brightest in his ability and desire to fix things. A real-life MacGyver, Earl loved mending broken items in unorthodox ways—often involving duct tape—and filling his home with unique “Earl-ventions.”
Beyond helping others, Earl enjoyed scuba diving, hunting, and photography, complete with his own in-home darkroom. However, his greatest joy came from telling puns and quacking like a duck at friends and strangers alike. We think he just liked the “fowl” language.
Quack! Quack!
Services
Date: Wednesday, August 26, 2026
Location: Arlington United Methodist Church(opens in new tab) (3770 McKelvey Rd, Bridgeton, MO)(opens in new tab)
Visitation: 1:00 PM
Memorial Service: 2:00 PM
Coffee, donuts, and ice cream will follow the service.
Memorial Contributions
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made in Earl’s honor to:
He was a great person. I enjoyed his stories he would tell us on mission trips. He also had a lot of patience when he was showing me how to do things. I will miss him.
I met Earl thru his wife Cindi. We all have been lunching together for 26 years once a month. Earl was a dynamic guy with lots of talents. Thru his faith he used them. Good and faithful servant. Cindi & family, I will be praying for you as you navigate without Earl’s.
Earl,
Thank you for everything. I sure will miss you. I can never tell the story about Sew Hope without mentioning you and Cindi. So glad our lives intersected. I love you and Cindi. Quack quack forever!
I knew Earl,Mary and Cindy as Scout parents. I always loved Earl and his puns. Sincere sympathies to all.