Shane Burke was a co-founder of Being Better Humans. He was an amazing husband, father, brother, and friend. He passed in September 2020 after a painful battle with cancer. He is deeply missed by many.

Shane was a very altruistic human. An avid golfer, you could find him often on a course giving encouragement and accolades to his opponents. He would not only stop to help the homeless but he would listen to what they had to say. There wasn’t an animal he didn’t love or a bird he couldn’t identify. He loved and respected nature. He was a genuine person with a heart of gold and an infectious laugh.

He taught a lot of people about a lot of things but maybe most importantly he taught us about the value of friendship and love. Over the years I’ve seen him come home from work on a below-zero day without the winter coat he left home wearing. There was a man on the street with no coat so he stopped and gave his coat to the man.

Often struggling ourselves, there were nights we ordered extra pizzas and he drove them down to the homeless under the bridge. There were countless times when he gave all he had in his pockets to someone on the street.

So… in an effort to honor my husband, my kids and I are asking you to Be Like Shane. Just do something, anything, which is an act of kindness.  Just be nice to someone. I have seen the #belikeshane hashtag used all over the world to promote kindness on his behalf—let’s keep it rolling! Thank you!

In his eulogy, our daughter wrote: 

Shane was kind to a fault. He had a hundred odds stacked against him and still was a good man, even if other options are easier. Even through all of the negativity and painful past where he was tested with the toughest of times, I have watched my father hold kindness, forgiveness, respect, and peace in situations and for people where that was not given to him; in those moments I learned from him.

He never put on airs or a mask, except during COVID because even with Stage 4 Metastatic Lung Cancer, Shane Burke held the value of the lives around him with his own, rather than beneath him. In his life, Shane taught me about humanity and integrity.

Read more: I Honor My Own Loss Through Kindness and By Remembering The Loss of Others

Doing some good deeds in honor of Shane or someone YOU miss? Print off the free cards

We would love to see how you are being like Shane so if you are willing to share with us we would appreciate that! If you share publically simply use the #belikeshane hashtag. You can also let us know via our Facebook or Insta accounts.