Madison Businessman And 'Hero Dad' Died From Coronavirus

MADISON, CT — "He was our hero. He was our sense of comfort. He was selfless. He was courageous and he was so strong," Taylor Burger said of her father, Douglas Burger.

Owner and founder of the Hammonasset Service Station in Madison, Burger, 55, was admitted to Middlesex Hospital April 4. Five days later, he died from the coronavirus, his daughter said.

"Every single day I would wait to hear the phone call from Middlesex telling me how he was doing," Taylor said. Then on April 9, "We watched him take his very last breath."

Doug Burger was a 'hero dad'

Burger was "hero dad" to three: Taylor, 24, Kolby 23, and Nickolaus, 19.

"He was a family man and he loved each of us with his entire heart. Everything he did was for us and every last penny that he earned he spent on doing things as a family," Taylor said. "We would take trips to places like Florida, go to the movies, go out to eat at restaurants, hibachi somehow became a family favorite especially for birthdays, and of course travel for sports."

Taylor played softball for the Bryant University Bulldogs in Rhode Island and Kolby played field hockey at Assumption College in Massachusetts. Nickolaus played lacrosse for Haddam Killingworth High School.

Doug Burger was his kids' coach and cheerleader.

“Our dad played college lacrosse at University of Maryland, so to him sports were just part of life," Taylor said. "It created such a strong bond between all of us and he did not miss a game rain or shine. He will forever be our biggest fan."

She emphasized that he didn’t just show up to games; rather, he was "fully invested in our success."

Burger coached his children and softball teams.

"He was a respected coach who left a lasting impact on not only his kids but all his players. Even when he was not coaching you would find him helping from the sidelines," his obituary reads.

"Especially after our games when we might not have played our best, he would spend hours with us to get it right in time for the next game. It was just unbelievable the time and commitment that he put into us every single day," Taylor said. "We would not trade all of those memories for anything."

A beloved businessman who went above and beyond

Doug Burger opened Hammonasset Service Station in 1996 and had run it since. In 2019, it was named in a 2019 "Best of the Shoreline" for Auto Repair. Taylor said she recalls "feeling so immensely proud of our dad."

"He was the type of person that would go in early and stay late, sometimes past dinner time, to make sure that each of his customers were taken care of," she said. "He loved to help others and would do so without asking for anything in return."

On the service station's Facebook page, Burger's passing was shared and many posted condolences and memories.

"We were heartbroken to learn of Doug's passing," wrote a customer. "We have been loyal customers for over 20 years due to Doug's honesty and competency. We always looked forward to seeing him, and it was always so evident how much he adored his family. We will keep your family in our prayers, and we know that Doug is in heaven watching over all of you. With the deepest regret."

Said a friend, "I've known Doug for over 20 years. He was friendly, honest and funny. I am deeply saddened by this news. My thoughts are with his family. We lost a great guy."

And even competitors were in reality friends and Burger could be counted on to help them, too.

"Doug was always willing to help us out if needed and he will be missed. Condolences from the entire Madison Service Center Family."

Taylor said her father's generosity and willingness to be of help is something “not many people can say that about their dad.”

"We are thankful to have been raised by such an amazing human being."

Meanwhile, the business stays open committed to providing service that Burger would be proud of.

Coronavirus: 'Forever going to be the darkest time of our lives.'

"My family and I lost our best friend and our hero,” Taylor said.

Burger became ill, was taken to Middlesex Hospital and, Taylor said, was immediately admitted to the ICU. He was gone five days later, the family stunned and reeling.

"...with the nature of the virus you quite frankly just don't know which hand of cards you will be dealt. Some people show mild symptoms and are fine, others end up in the ICU for weeks, it is just so unbelievably unpredictable," Taylor told Patch.

"We do want to thank the staff at Middlesex Hospital who took care of our dad during his time there, they showed us great compassion throughout that time."

Douglas Burger and his daughter Taylor Burger photo courtesy of Taylor Burger

Taylor described those days as "forever going to be the darkest time of our lives." Adding she and her family pray the "virus starts to slow down so that more and more families do not have to experience the loss that we just did."

For now, Burger’s service is on hold: "A celebration of life ceremony will be planned and announced when restrictions due to the coronavirus are lifted and it is safe to gather in groups," according to his obituary.

Helping the Burger family

A GoFundMe was created by Taylor to help the family cover medical bills and funeral costs.

"All I ask is that you keep my family and I in your prayers as we face this extremely difficult time. There is not a day that will go by that I don’t think of him. I know that Kolby, Nick, and I made him so insanely proud and we will continue to do that. RIP Dad - I love you more than words.

"Many people were asking how they could help. My family and I appreciate our support system more than anything. This money will help us with medical bills and funeral services.

I promise to take care of everyone just like you did - please Dad give me strength to make it through this."

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See also: Wife Of Coronavirus Victim Finds Farewell Note In Phone

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