Walter Keith Burau, 82, of Beaver Falls, passed away on August 8th, 2025, at UPMC Passavant in McCandless Township, Pennsylvania, with his loving family surrounding him. He was born on March 16th, 1943, a son of the late Walter R. and Bessie (Smith) Burau. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his loving wife of 57 years, Barbara L. Burau, his stepmother, Bertha Burau, a sister, Margaret Huffman, several step-brothers and brothers-in-law, a sister-in-law, three nephews, along with others who were dear to him. He is survived by two sons and daughters-in-law, Christopher (Patricia) Burau of Ventura, Calif., and Adam (Cherise) Burau of Murrysville, PA; his sister, Shirley Schmidt; a sister-in-law, Mary Lou Phillips; and several nieces, nephews, cousins, friends, and kind neighbors.Keith was a 1961 graduate of Beaver Falls High School. After graduation, Walter went to work at Babcock & Wilcox (B&W) Steel in Beaver Falls. He was drafted into the Army during the Vietnam War, serving in Germany as a clerk with a Top Secret security clearance at a nuclear missile site. After being honorably discharged, he returned home and resumed working at B&W, serving in numerous departments involved in making and shipping steel. Keith often worked overtime hours to buy extra gifts that his children wanted for Christmas. He loved sports, particularly basketball and baseball, playing on local recreational teams while growing up and in pick-up games as an adult. He followed the Pittsburgh Pirates closely, and reveled in retelling exactly where he was for Game 7 of the 1960 World Series, watching with friends as Bill Mazeroski hit the series-ending home run. He also was a rabid Pitt basketball fan, following the team for likely 40+ years and attending games later in life with his friend, Paul. Keith also was a great bowler, playing in local leagues for many years. He once missed rolling a perfect 300 game by only one frame: getting a spare in the first frame and then rolling 11 strikes in a row. After the scoresheet was official, at the urging of the gathering crowd, He rolled one last ball that didn’t count, and it was a strike. That game earned him a commemorative plaque and wristwatch that he prized dearly. Keith enjoyed recalling the “glory days” of growing up in the 1950s in Patterson Township, Beaver County: hanging out with his teenage friends at Waite’s ice cream shop and Taylor’s Pennzoil station (making him an official member of the famed “Taylor’s Bums” crew), and, speaking of ice cream, he should have owned stock in Bruster’s and Handel’s. He was known for eating half his weight in butter pecan and chocolate, always breaking out his special multi-quart stash to share with family during get-togethers. (“Hey, Keith, Bruster’s called. They need to get some ice cream back!!”) He was a dedicated husband, father, and father-in-law who always put family first and was fiercely loyal to them even to the end. When his sons, Chris and Adam, were growing up, he helped coach their West Mayfield youth recreational baseball teams, including some that won league championships in the 1970s and early 1980s. He was one of several beloved “old school” fathers and father figures who punched out of their shifts at the local steel mills and spent their spring and summer evenings on the sandlot: not only teaching baseball fundamentals and sportsmanship, but also instilling character, grit, and a strong, blue-collar work ethic in their sons and young boys from the neighborhood. In the yard of the family’s home, he installed a home run fence around his sons’ Wiffle Ball diamond, making the field a magnet for neighborhood boys and girls. He played and umpired thousands of innings for them, and who could forget Keith’s flat-out diving catch to win that one marathon championship game as the late-summer sun was setting over Burau Field: his team jumping for joy while the losers literally hit their knees in disbelief. Keith had a deep and abiding love of music and instilled it into his sons, making groups like The Eagles, The Doobie Brothers, Billy Joel, and other artists the soundtrack of their youth. The three loved recording “mix tapes” and playing their 33 1/3 and 45 RPM records. For years, neighbors likely considered calling the police to report how loud he and his sons blasted their stereos (often shaking the dishes in the china cabinet, much to his wife, Barbara’s dismay). Chris fondly remembers the days when he, Adam, their friends, and other parents would ride in Walter’s famous brown and beige 1979 Chevy van and turn the music up on 10. They would sing along to their favorite tunes as they drove to their baseball teams’ away games or to Pirates games. And, even in his 70s, Walter invited Adam to rock concerts to see bands like ZZ Top (Adam brought ear plugs. Walter didn’t). But quieter times with him also were special too. One of Adam’s fondest childhood memories with his dad, shrouded in blinding sunshine, blue sky, and windblown clouds, was flying kites on a 1970s spring day for what seemed like forever atop a hillside at a local school. After breaking for lunch and hot tea from Walter’s work Thermos in the big bucket seats of Walter’s navy blue 1967 Pontiac LeMans convertible, the two grabbed their kites and seized the wind again until daylight was fading and it was time to go home. That memory of Keith will be framed in sunshine forever. There will be no public visitation, in keeping with Walter’s wishes. Interment will be private. Arrangements have been entrusted to Corless-Kunselman Funeral Services, LLC, 3801 4th Avenue, Beaver Falls. Memorial contributions may be made to your local recreational youth baseball or other sports league or the charity of your choice or just turn on your favorite music, scoop some ice cream and be with the ones you love, treasuring the time as Walter always did.
Walter Keith Burau (1943-2025)
