My name is Matthew Heckmer and I’d like to introduce you to my mother Penny Lou Burke. She was born on May 31, 1949 to Margaret and Russel Young and passed Friday, March 27, 2026. In between, she lived a simple life that was governed by a simple set of rules. Everyone deserves the benefit of the doubt and more importantly everyone has a story to tell so why not take a minute and listen. Holy shit did she love to listen to people’s stories!

Mom had a unique ability to walk into a crowd of people she did not know and strike up a random conversation that would end with them telling her all about their lives. It didn’t matter where she was or what the person she was talking to was going through. She would give them her complete attention and listen intently. She loved the tea.

One of the things that I have been struck by is the number of friends that have reached out to me and the first thing they talk about is how great Mom was with them. She always made them feel like they were a part of the family. Many of my friends called her Mom on a regular basis. Mom really loved being around people.

Mom did not have much though she did the best with what she had. I am asking if you can help her in 2 ways, one simple and one unique, exactly like she was. The first is to contribute anything you can to help with her cremation and funeral costs. Even the smallest amount would be helpful. The second is to pass this message on to others to share the love she had for meeting new people and learning about them. She would love nothing more than to be sent around the world for random people to take a moment of their day to learn about her.

As with most families these days, we do not have the discretionary funds needed to pay for her cremation and service. Anything you can contribute is greatly appreciated.

Thank you so much for reading about my mom. I hope her story brought a smile to your face. And if it did, please consider sharing this post. It would help us to take care of her final expenses and be able to put her to rest.

With gratitude and appreciation,

Matthew