Letter: Stricklands left a lasting legacy in Burbank

The loss of Harry and Mary Jane Strickland, iconic pillars of the community, is a loss felt by their family, friends, the Burbank Historical Society and all Burbankers.

I was fortunate to have counted Mary Jane (M.J.) and Harry (Buddy) friends for many years. I was always amazed and impressed with their tireless devotion and seemingly endless energy that they devoted to preserving Burbank’s past. Since the founding of the Burbank Historical Society, over four decades ago, they have done anything and everything from collecting, restoring, archiving, researching, fundraising, building, remodeling, touring, cleaning, landscaping and anything else that needed to be done at the Gordon R. Howard Museum.

Though their passing has filled me with sadness, I also feel a sense of gratitude. Their life’s work has given so much to so many. They influenced me to appreciate our city’s past, to volunteer and research local history and work toward its preservation. I suspect many can say the same.

They will be missed by those who knew them and appreciated by those who didn’t. The wide-ranging collection of Burbank’s past, housed inside the museum for which the Stricklands are largely responsible, will benefit future Burbankers for generations to come.

Craig Bullock

Burbank