He is survived by his wife, Rebecca S Allen; daughters Emily Burgio Hines (Jonathan Hines), Kalyn Elise Burgio, and Jaime Burgio Rabb (Benjamin Rabb) and their mother, Kathryn Larsen Burgio; his beloved grandchildren Caroline Dianne Rabb, his namesake Chapman Louis Hines, Theodore Benjamin Rabb, and Sebastian Campion Hines; and brothers John Burgio, and David Burgio (Pamela Burgio), as well as nieces, nephews, cousins, friends, and many cherished students/trainees or “academic kin.” He was preceded in death by his father, John Burgio, mother, Angeline Burgio Godson, stepfather Edward Godson, sister-in-law Mary Burgio, and many grandparents, aunts, and uncles.
He was born in Buffalo, NY to parents John and Angeline Burgio (neé Lipomi). He grew up on the West Side of Buffalo, which was at the time a very close-knit, Sicilian neighborhood. You couldn’t throw a rock without hitting someone you were related to. He grew up with two brothers, so rock throwing was at the center of a shocking number of childhood stories. So were brooms, wooden spoons, shoes, and flying meatballs, courtesy of their saint of a mother. He was a talented musician and could play the guitar by ear. He swore he had to choose between being a big-time rock star and going to school, and we actually believe him.
He attended Canesius College as a First Generation College Student. He went on to obtain his Ph.D. in developmental psychology and applied behavior analysis at The University of Notre Dame. While a NIMH postdoctoral fellow at Johns Hopkins University, his focus shifted to improving the lives of older adults and their families, both in long-term care and the community. Dr. Burgio was an accomplished Geropsychologist, best known for his REACH-OUT intervention for dementia caregivers. His great scientific mind and exemplary writing ability touched, and helped, the lives of so many older adults and their families.
Amidst all of his learning, he and his first wife, Kathy, had three daughters, Emily, Kalyn, and Jaime. He loved his daughters with a fierce and uncommon devotion. They were truly the center of his world for much of his life and for all of theirs. He instilled in them the importance of hard work and receiving a good education, and together with Kathy, afforded them every opportunity to do so. He raised them to enjoy an eclectic range of musical artists and genres. He believed that music was in the soul. He valued legacy, tradition, and a dedication to his family culture. He was an epic story teller, and his comedic timing was priceless. His humor was a defining characteristic, and he would be very disappointed that none of his legendary pranks and horrible jokes made it into his obituary… ok fine, “you can tuna a piano, but you can’t tuna fish!” There-- are you happy Dad?
After 17 years of marriage, he and Kathy divorced. After many (many) years, his friend and colleague, Becky, became his partner, and finally, his wife in 2012. He spent his final years living with Becky and their chiweenie Chloe in Tuscaloosa. He was an excellent cook. Becky will miss coming home to lovingly prepared gourmet meals, as cooking was truly Lou’s love language. He had a lot of happy times in those final years, but preferred to fight his demons in solitude. He seemed to be finally winning just before his untimely death. We believe that he died a happy man. He was not ready to leave us.
He will be cremated and, per his wishes, divided between his wife and daughters. ¼ of him will be laid to rest in Lexington, KY so that he and his wife can one day be together again. The other ¾ will be sent home to lay on the mantle of each of his daughters, where he can watch over-- and haunt them, as promised-- forever. They are very much looking forward to this, as a life without Lou Burgio is unthinkable. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests contributions to the Louis D. Burgio Endowment for Training in Aging at The University of Alabama is available on the giving website here:
https://give.ua.edu/?d=E639B7DC-CB1E-405B-8034-F37CC234B3E6
Heritage Chapel Funeral Home, a Dignity Memorial Provider, is honored to serve the Burgio family during their time of bereavement.
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