The inclement weather did not diminish the resolve of Coplay residents and dignitaries who assembled May 14 to honor the memory of the Honorable Mayor Stephen J. Burker, who died unexpectedly last October.

On hand to remember Burker were dozens of Coplay residents; state Rep. Jeanne McNeill, D-133rd; state Sen. Nick Miller, D-14th; Lehigh County Sheriff Joe Hanna; Lehigh County Director of Administration Ed Hozza; Coplay Borough Mayor Joseph Bundra; Coplay council President Louis Bodish; Councilman Dean Hermany; and Whitehall Township Mayor Joseph Marx.

Hermany kicked off the dedication event at the borough’s community plaza, North Second and Chestnut streets, Coplay.

All of the speakers had varied stories and accolades to offer about Burker for his friends to hear and his family to cherish. They presented governmental citations, resolutions and proclamations honoring and remembering Burker.

Carol “Flossie” Burker, his wife; TinaMarie, his daughter; Therese, his sister; Bryan and David, his brothers; and many friends and residents paused to hear the thoughtful words spoken with appreciation of his achievements and reflected on the sudden loss of a dedicated public servant, a friend and a beloved family member.

The ceremony drew to a close when a bright red ribbon was pulled from the entry of the gazebo that uncovered the words dedicating it as the Stephen J. Burker Memorial Gazebo.

All present and those who appreciated his efforts to make Coplay a better place agreed Burker will be long remembered and sorely missed.

During his near three-year tenure as Coplay mayor, Burker drove a number of initiatives to improve the 0.6-square-mile borough. He also served more than two terms as a Coplay Borough councilman. His focus then was the borough’s park and recreation committee.

Leading a team, Burker helped improve the borough’s swimming pool, labored with his team to make the Coplay Community Days annual summer festival a premier event in the Lehigh Valley, worked to have lights reinstalled at Sammy Balliet Stadium and more.

Burker created and developed the summer Wednesday evening concert series at the community plaza with performances held from May through September. He promoted staycations for residents to spend time in their hometown and enjoy the parks and other activities in Coplay.

Burker’s heart was deeply embedded in the Coplay community. You often saw him wearing a T-shirt emblazoned with the words “Coplay proud” or “Coplay Community Days.” He often referred to Coplay as “God’s little miracle” and also referred to Coplay as “the little borough that could.”

His rise to the mayoral office was unscripted. In 2021, there were no Coplay mayor candidates in the primary election that year. With assistance of a small team, he developed a last-minute write-in campaign that was successful and lifted him into the mayor’s office.

As mayor, Burker wasted no time trying to improve Coplay. He met with and urged local legislators to do whatever they could to provide Coplay with grant funding for a number of projects.