Family and friends are invited to celebrate the life of Anna Marie Burakowski (Alexander, NY), who passed away on July 24, 2023 due to complications from COVID-19 and pneumonia. Visiting hours will be held on Saturday, July 29 from 12:00 to 3:00 PM followed by a funeral service, both held in Wendel & Loecher Inc. at 27 Aurora Street, Lancaster, NY 14086.
Anna was born on May 26, 1952 to Alfred and Florence (Fronchowiak) Lewandowski in Buffalo, NY. She attended Canisius College earning bachelor of science degrees in biology and biochemistry, igniting a passion for all things science. In 1975 she married her husband, Joseph Burakowski, also of Buffalo, with whom she had four children - Sarah, Elizabeth, Matthew, and Katharine Burakowski.
Throughout her 71 years, Anna was known to have a curious and inquisitive mind, which she exercised as a research scientist studying infectious diseases, then as a biology teacher in the Buffalo City School District, and eventually as an agriculture specialist for Customs and Border Protection with Homeland Security. She was a life-long learner and earned two master’s degrees - one in molecular biology and one in education. When she wasn’t working, she was still a scientist at her core, constantly learning about the wildlife and plants around her. She was never one to sit back and watch and her intellectual curiosity and love of animals led her to travel as far as Namibia to help care for cheetahs.
Anna was a creative and adventurous baker, who rarely made anything the same way twice. She was a talented seamstress, and she adored gardening with the simple joy of watching her flowers bloom. Since she was a kid she enjoyed going to the movies and was always up for watching something new, especially if it involved a superhero.
Anna’s greatest joy in life came from building a family with Joe. She loved her children deeply and did all that she could to provide them with opportunities to thrive. She was a scouting parent, went on class field trips, supported the marching band, and did everything mothers who love their children do. Anna most valued education and was elected as the president of the Alexander Central School Board of Education in the 1990s. She loved being a part of her kid’s college searches, traveling across the country to visit school after school. Anna had a fierce moral code and raised her children to have the same, while being compassionate to others. She rounded out her family by always having at least one dog, who she lavished with love and affection.
Anna requested that in lieu of flowers and cards, you consider donating to a charity near and dear to your heart or your local animal shelter
