G. Craig Burnham

Gordon “Craig” Burnham, age 87, passed away peacefully on Sunday, August 17, 2025 surrounded by his loving family. He was born on July 25, 1938 in Green Bay, WI to the late John and Elizabeth Burnham. Craig was the eldest of five children and lived in Green Bay with his family until he graduated from East High School in 1956.

He attended Ripon College and joined Sigma Chi Fraternity, something he stayed loyal to his entire life. He graduated in 1960 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Economics. After college, he attended graduate school at Indiana University and earned his Master’s Degree in Business Management.

Craig didn’t just study business, he lived it. After graduating, he moved to Minneapolis to dive into the fast-paced world of marketing and advertising, working for companies like Pillsbury, Carmichael Lynch, and Knox Reeves. But it wasn’t just a career that Minneapolis had in store for him, it was where he met the love of his life, Nancy Schumacher. They married in 1967, and from that moment on, Craig’s greatest joy became building a life and family with her.

They welcomed two daughters, Lisa and Stacy, and eventually made their way back to Green Bay to be closer to family after the sudden loss of Craig’s father in 1972. Craig launched his own consulting firm, then later founded G.C. Burnham Commercial Real Estate. He prided himself on being the first exclusively commercial/industrial brokerage firm in the area and ran it successfully for over 40 years.

Craig had a deep love for Green Bay and was dedicated to making his community stronger in every way he could. He used his business acumen and leadership skills to strengthen organizations he believed in, always striving to leave a lasting impact. His generosity and commitment to service were evident in the many roles he took on — serving as President of the National Railroad Museum, President of Scholarships, Inc., co-hosting the Children’s Hospital of Milwaukee Telethon, and giving his time to local school and planning boards.

In 1980, Craig and Nancy built their dream home on Scray Hill in De Pere. He loved the property and their home. Maintaining it all was definitely more of a hobby than a chore to him. He enlisted Nancy and his daughters into his many projects, but unlike Craig, they usually saw it as a chore more than a hobby.

Craig had a zest for life. He was a high school wrestler, earned his pilot’s license, loved his Porsche sports car, and in 1965 had the opportunity to take an 8-month adventure across Europe. He had a competitive spirit - whether it was on the tennis court, the ski hill, or water skiing. He was always striving to be the best. However, sailing was his true passion and Craig was most at peace on the water, with his family. He captained his beloved sailboat “Sapphire” on the waters of Green Bay and Lake Michigan and also chartered sailboats in the British Virgin Islands. Being on the water with his family and friends was, by far, what he would consider a “perfect day”.

The true love of Craig’s life was his wife of 58 years, Nancy. From the moment they met in Minneapolis, Craig was unwavering in his devotion to her. Together they built a life filled with love, laughter, and adventure. Through every stage of life, Craig remained her steady partner, and in recent years, her greatest advocate as she faced Alzheimer’s with grace and courage. It was easy to see how devoted they were to each other.

Craig was an incredibly proud father, father-in-law and grandfather and was equally devoted to his daughters, their husbands and his grandchildren. He loved to boast about his daughters and sons-in-law and his grandchildren were never short of advice from Grandpa.

Craig is survived by his wife, Nancy; his daughters, Lisa (Heath) Urick, De Pere; Stacy (David) Richards, De Pere; and grandchildren: Charlie Urick, Will Urick, Ben Richards and Sophia Richards.

He is preceded in death by his parents, John and Elizabeth Burnham.

Craig’s family extends heartfelt gratitude to the team at Moments Hospice for their extraordinary compassion and to the caregivers and staff at New Perspective Senior Living, who not only cared for Craig but also surrounded him with genuine friendship and loved listening to his stories and his wisdom. Their kindness made New Perspective feel like home and will continue to be for Nancy. A special thank you goes to Caiden from Moments, whose gentleness and steady presence were a source of strength, and to Selena from New Perspective, whose warmth and devotion brought comfort and familiarity each day.

Family and Friends may visit Newcomer Funeral Home, 340 S. Monroe Ave, Green Bay on September 23, 2025 from 2:00 pm until the time of the Memorial Service at 4:30 pm.

In honor of Nancy, who has been living with Alzheimer’s since 2018, the family kindly requests memorials in Craig’s name be made to the Wisconsin Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association, in lieu of flowers.