Tribute Wall
This space is dedicated to honoring the lives of those we love and miss. Each tribute reflects a story of connection, compassion, and meaning—reminding us that every life leaves an imprint, and love continues.
Stories shared in love, remembrance, and hope.
In Loving Memory of George Burkovich
June 21, 1932 – June 3, 1985
My dad, George Burkovich, was a hardworking man who spent most of his life providing for his family. He grew up in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and eventually followed work to California, where he and my mom, Midge, raised Sheri, George, and me. He wasn’t someone who expressed his emotions easily, but he showed his love in the way many men of his generation did—by working long hours and making sure his family was cared for.
I was only nineteen when he died by suicide. At that age, I didn’t understand depression or know what signs to look for, and I had no idea he was suffering in silence. Looking back now, I wish he had felt safe to share his pain, and I wish there had been more open conversations and support available than there were at that time.
One of the things that remains connected to him is a cactus that has been growing at my mom’s house all these years that was given to him by a friend. It grew so tall over the decades that it eventually became too heavy and fell over. When that happened, I cut off all the pieces just so I could stand it back up again. Those pieces became the fifteen individual cacti that we offered as donation gifts at our first Moonlight Sonata fundraiser. They now symbolize resilience, hope, and the slow, powerful growth of mental health awareness over the last forty years.
My dad’s story is one of quiet struggle, but also of legacy. His life, and his pain, remind me why the work of Hope With I.A.N. matters: no one should have to carry their burdens alone, and no family should be left without understanding or support.
His memory continues to guide me—as a daughter, as a mother, and as an advocate for others walking through their own mental health battles.
-Lauri Strain
Emily’s Story
From the moment Emily was born it was clear that she was a gentle and tender soul. With her blonde curls and observant blue eyes, she looked and floated through life in an almost angelic way. Her vivid imagination and peaceful nature made it easy to take her everywhere.
As she grew, she held onto her sense of innocence and wonder.
Emily was committed to experiencing the wonders of life on a daily basis. She’d always manage to find a trail where she could sit down and listen to the trees, or a patch of grass to quickly kick off her shoes and feel the earth. While living in Laguna, she swam in the ocean nearly every day, excitedly calling us on the regular to share a new miraculous story of early morning ocean time.
She loved to sing and make music. She practiced ukulele on the regular, and more recently found freedom in freestyle music jams where she could practice her confidence and her improvisational power.
She practiced meditation, finding incredible transformation and presence through breathwork and mindfulness. Emily loved to explore the depths of spirituality, fascinated with worlds of angels and ancestors and the journeys of our souls.
But above all, Emily’s spirit rejoiced in dance. Whether she was dancing under a sunset on the beach, or on the streets of Los Angeles––whether contemporary, hip-hop, or contact dance––she danced with both gentle tenderness and remarkable fierceness. She found extraordinary personal transformation during her many years of dance classes, and then also brought these lessons to her students––empowering so many students of all ages to claim their space in this world and declare their presence.
Share A Tribute
We invite you to share your loved one’s story in a way that honors who they were, the connection you shared, and the impact they had on your life. Tributes may be short or longer, and there is no “right” way to write one.