RAVENA — Robin L. Burkhardt taught emergency services providers throughout the Hilltowns and Greene County how to read EKGs to recognize heart attacks, and, as a brain tumor survivor, worked in the Capital Region to increase awareness of brain tumor symptoms. She died on Thursday, June 11, 2015, at the age of 54.

A celebration of her life will be held in Albany on Thursday, July 16, from 2 to 6 p.m.

“Suddenly, in North Carolina, our dear friend, Robin, entered Heaven’s gates to dance with the angels,” Ms. Burkhardt’s friends wrote in a tribute. “Don’t be sad; Robin will enter a wonderful place where she will be at peace scrapbooking; reading; looking for a sale; making old friends and family new beaded jewelry; running with her golden retrievers that she loved so dearly, Beau and Jamie; and arranging ‘angel conferences!’

Ms. Burkhardt was born on May 10, 1961, to Robert L. and Catherine Marks Burkhardt.

“Robin is, without a doubt, survived by over a thousand good friends, neighbors and coworkers (current and past) too numerous to mention!!” her friends wrote.   “Robin lived life with her motto, ‘Because Nice Matters.’”

“Robin was an emergency medical technician, and when she met Dr. (Julio) Sosa on her many ambulance ‘runs’ to the catheterization lab for the former Richards Ambulance, in Cairo (Greene County), to Albany Medical Center, at which time he convinced her she should return to school to become a cardiovascular technologist and work at AMC, which she did,” the tribute continues. “Later on, Dr. Sosa convinced her to continue her education using the ‘Grow your own’ program at Albany Medical Center to get her registered nurse degree, which she passed with flying colors.

“Robin then worked in the coronary care unit at Albany Medical Center, and, later, bravely moved to North Carolina and worked in the unit on the marine base at Camp Lejeune in Jacksonville, North Carolina, where, as usual, she made many more friends! She then had a house built in Sneed’s Ferry, North Carolina, and loved her New York friends and family to visit her, to sit to watch the sun rise on the beautiful bay in her backyard, and to walk on the beach at Top Sail,” her friends wrote.

Ms. Burkhardt had two brain tumors removed at Albany Medical Center, and arranged to have the traveling “Hidden Under Our Hats” display come to Albany during Brain Tumor Action Week each year from May 1 to 7. Ms. Burkhardt encouraged brain tumor patients, families, and survivors, her friends wrote.

In 2014, Ms. Burkhardt had another brain tumor removed at Duke University, but “always had a positive outlook,” her friends wrote.

She arranged to have singer, songwriter, and cancer survivor David M. Bailey come to Albany for a brain tumor conference.

“Bailey defied odds for over a dozen years and inspired countless fans,” Ms. Burkhardt’s friends wrote. “She loved his music, especially ‘One More Day,’ his flagship song. Robin was very saddened when David succumbed to brain cancer in 2010, at the age of 44.” 

Ms. Burkhardt voluntarily taught the ‘12 Leads in 12 Seconds’ program developed by her friend, Dr. Gus Delago, to volunteer ambulance squads throughout upstate New York, her friends wrote. The program taught emergency services providers to identify patients having heart attacks and get them to a heart center, and also gave volunteers ‘12 lead cards’ for quick reference, they wrote.

Ms. Burkhardt and her good friend, Anne Fereday, co-founded Cardiomentors, which specializes in emergency medical services and nurses’ training, consulting, and education in cardiac services.

Ms. Burkhardt served as the program coordinator to arrange five annual Interventional Cardiovascular Symposium Live-Case Presentation Conferences for the Albany Medical Center Heart Institute, with cases being broadcast directly into the conference rooms for catheterizations, angioplasties, stents, and open-heart surgeries for referring physicians and medical professionals.

“When she left the cath lab at AMC, no one wanted to take over her role, as it was too much work,” her friends wrote.

Ms. Burkhardt was “extremely proud of her father, Robert L. Burkhardt, a Korean War Navy veteran, as well as all United States Military personnel who served, and continue to serve, our country,” her friends wrote.

“We will have a celebration of Robin's life in Albany on Thursday, July 16, from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. at Hilton Garden Inn, 62 New Scotland Avenue, across from Albany Medical Center,” her friends wrote in the tribute. “Please join us and sign a book of condolences for her extensive family to share. If you have a funny story, please come and share it with us and write it down!”

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Robin L. Burkhardt is survived by her mother, Catherine; her sister, Teresa Hewitt and her husband, Donald; and her nieces, Erin Argheb and her husband, Argy, and Renee Alexander and her husband, Mike.

Ms. Burkhardt’s father, Robert L. Burkhardt, died before her, as did her grandmother, Franny French Burkhardt, who loved her.

Contributions may be made to The Gray Matters Foundation, Post Office Box 28106, Cave Creek, AZ, 85255, or T.H.E. Brain Trust, 196 Hampshire Street, Cambridge, MA, 02139-1320.