Ronald V. Burback

Ronald V. Burback, formerly of Cedarburg, was called home to his Lord on Monday, May 4, 2026, at his residence at Fairway Knoll in Germantown.

Ron was born on Aug. 19, 1935, to Daniel and Hulda Burback in Milwaukee, where he grew up, met his best friend Ron Kowlitz and received his education.

Following graduation from high school in 1953, Ron worked for several years as a mechanic in family-run auto salvage yards in the Milwaukee area. Later, he signed up for a four-year term in the U.S. Air Force along with his best friend Ron. They were stationed in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, where they worked on radar installations as well as played ball for the Air Force’s baseball team. Ron earned an honorable discharge, and when back in Milwaukee, he used his GI Bill to cover his associate’s degree in mechanical design at the Milwaukee School of Engineering.

His first – and longest – job was with Astronautics Corp. of America (ACA) based in Milwaukee. He worked first as a mechanical designer of aeronautic instruments and later as the supervisor of this department. He also used his love of photography to create Burback Industrial Photography and he then became the technical photographer of instruments for ACA. After a 19-year career at ACA, Ron worked at Doerr Electric in Cedarburg as an engineering supervisor for four years. For the remainder of his career, Ron worked at Concept Engineering as a contract machine designer in the Milwaukee area.

In 1963, he met his future wife Sue through his best friend Ron and his wife Pat while out bowling. Ron and Sue started dating several months later and were married on Sept. 25, 1965, at Kingo Lutheran Church in Shorewood. They later settled in Glendale, where two children were born to them, Dan and Matt. In 1972, Ron and Sue built a new house in Cedarburg and resided there until 2019 when they moved into assisted living at Fairway Knoll in Germantown.

After moving to Cedarburg, they joined First Immanuel Lutheran Church, where in the 1980s Ron became an usher and then head usher. Due to his position and meticulous nature, Ron helped lay out the format for ushering at the new church First Immanuel was building up the hill to the west. When they opened in the early 1990s, Ron implemented the new format as well as established ushering teams to cover all their church services.

Ron’s pastimes included various interests. He enjoyed coaching his son’s baseball teams, enjoyed bowling and was an avid Friday night bowler at Circle B Recreation for many years, motorcycling and was a major do-it-yourself type person. He did all of the improvements on his home as well as tackle anything mechanical, electrical or plumbing-related, etc.

Following his retirement from his day job, Ron’s love of cooking kicked in and you would find him in the kitchen creating and working on something new that he came across for dinner. The binder he created of all his recipes was so stuffed that it should have been divided into three additional binders.

Ron was preceded in death by his parents, Dan and Hulda (Hilderman), his sister Kathy and his best friend Ron (Pat) Kolwitz as well as many aunts, uncles, cousins, friends and neighbors.

Ron is survived by his wife of 60 years Sue, his two sons, Dan (Lori) and Matt (Mary), his two grandchildren, Emalie and Ian, his granddogs, other friends and family.

Funeral services will not be held at the request of the family.

Memorials to dementia or Alzheimer’s research are appreciated.