Burton Jerry Kunik

Burton Jerry Kunik lived a long, fulfilling life centered on family, faith, and making the most of every moment. Born in Chicago, Illinois, he was raised in McAllen, Texas, alongside his sister, Florence Kroman, by his immigrant parents, Irving and Elizabeth Kunik. Despite having little formal education, they nurtured a deep love for their "sonny boy" and instilled in him a belief in Judaism and a drive to achieve great success. They were incredibly proud of his graduations from The University of Texas and The University of Texas Dental Branch (Houston). Burt dedicated 25 years to serving the Greater Houston dental community as an endodontist, making a lasting impact on both his patients and as a leader in local, statewide and national dental organizations. He was most proud of being the President of The Greater Houston Dental Society and Founder of the Greater Houston Dental Meeting. He earned many accolades for his contributions to the field including the Academy of General Dentistry's, "Dentist of the Year". After a rewarding career in dentistry, Burt boldly embarked on a second impactful career in the medical waste business, where he successfully innovated and built a company that ultimately went public. His career success was matched by his deep love for his family. No one was more cherished in his life than his wife, Mary. Until his last days, he was planning more special times with her. Their love and dedication to each other inspired family and friends to find and treasure their own partners. Burt and Mary's greatest joy was bringing their family of four boys and 13 grandchildren together for Friday night dinners, holiday celebrations, and grandchildren's outings, knowing that time spent together was essential to strengthening family bonds. Burt is survived by his beloved wife, Mary, and their four sons, Mark (Mardi), Randy (Agustina), Daryl (Dana), and David (Laura). He is also survived by 13 grandchildren: Max, Illan, Julian, Elise (Whit), Sophie, Nathan, Malena, Gael, Maddox, Reese, Alec, Lawson and Lincoln and many extended family members and friends who brought him immense joy. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to Shalom Austin (JAMen Forum) or the Anti-Defamation League, organizations whose missions were meaningful to him. One of his legacies was founding and supporting a brotherhood group through Shalom Austin, Jewish Austin Men (JAMen). The family would also like to thank Juan, Maria, Roxanne and Monique, for their compassionate care and support. A Graveside Service will be held 9AM on Sunday August 11th at Oakwood Cemetery: 1601 Navasota St. Austin, TX 78702 A livestream of the service will be available on the Austin Natural Funerals Facebook Page, http://facebook.com/austinnaturalfunerals/ . A Facebook account is not required to watch. If a pop-up window appears asking you to log in click "not now" and the live stream will be available for you to watch. If the "not now" button does not appear, scroll down on the page and it will come up for you to select.

Burton Jerry Kunik

September 14, 1938 - August 8, 2024