Vol. XXIV – #13 Keith Burnham Leland Reporter

It’s with immense sadness that I report the passing of our father and original Leland Reporter, Keith Burnham

Keith Webster Burnham of Leland MI, aged 91, passed away peacefully in his sleep at Autumn House Assisted Living in Williamsburg MI, surrounded by family.

Keith was born on March 17, 1933, in North Riverside, IL, to Howard and Garnet Burnham (nee Cutler).

If you knew Keith, you knew from the stories he shared that he lived a full life based on “overcoming all odds”.  A gifted artist, he began his engineering career at Lockheed with no prior design experience, having been picked out of a field of applicants for his high aptitude score. His first project was strengthening the front landing gear of the P33 Shooting Star fighter plane to enable the plane to land on an aircraft carrier. He continued on to a 32-year career at International Harvester and J.I. Case as an Industrial Designer. He was the first employee to walk into the new IH Farm Equipment Research and Engineering Center (Hinsdale, IL) after it opened in 1958.

His numerous professional accomplishments include designing the first Cub Cadet garden tractor in 1962, sketching concept designs and building 3D scale models of many proposed tractors and combines, including some of the first enclosed operator cabs for tractors. Keith retired from International Harvester in 1988 to start Burnham Graphic Arts.

Keith married the love of his life, Joanne Gits, on January 28^th, 1961. They lived and raised four children in Riverside, IL, but spent every summer in Leland, Michigan with the Gits family. He was Commodore of the Leland Yacht Club, sharing that distinction with two brothers-in-law and a niece. Although he still worked in Hinsdale, he would travel often up to Leland to be with his family in the place he grew to love. Keith and Joanne moved permanently to Leland in 1996. Keith immortalized the places he lived in in Pen and Ink drawings and cartoons of Riverside and Leland, specifically Fishtown.

 In May of 2001, Keith and his son Jim started LelandReport.com, a daily photo blog of life in Leelanau County. In 2017, he published his first book of photos from the blog. He continued to post a photo every day for over 20 years until he couldn’t physically make the treks outside. He and his faithful dog, Biscuit, were Fishtown favorites and became unofficial ambassadors for the Fishtown Preservation Society. If you visit Fishtown, you might see a silhouette of Biscuit near the welcome center.

A simple obituary cannot fully encapsulate Keith’s life, but it serves as a tribute to a man who was greatly loved and will be sorely missed. Keith’s life story is a vivid picture of dedication and creativity, leaving others inspired by his personal kindness.

Funeral services will be October 19th at St Wenceslaus Church, 8500 E Kolarik Rd, Suttons Bay. There will be a 10 am visitation followed by 11am mass and then a private family interment. In the Summer, we will have a public celebration of life.(Time and place TBA)

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Shriner’s Children’s Hospital, Fishtown Preservation Society, or the Leland Old Art Building Capital Campaign 

Keith is survived by his wife, Joanne, and four children, Julie Burnham (Lee), Mary Burnham Curtis (Gary), John Burnham (Carolyn), and Jim Burnham (Deb). Keith had seven grandchildren: TJ, Matt, Christopher, Lauren, Daniel, Shae, and Meredith.

He will be deeply missed by all who had the privilege of knowing him. He will forever be remembered for his strong, unassuming nature and his profound impact on the lives he touched.

-The Burnham Family