Justin “Taz Man” Burk, of Freeland, will forever be a star at the Delta College Planetarium.
Justin was always curious by nature, soaking up new information like a sponge. Diagnosed
with Crohn’s disease at age 9, he became a regular at Michigan Medicine, building
relationships with the nursing staff.
Throughout his 25 years of life, Justin always put 100% effort toward everything he did. When he was young, he did cart racing with his grandfather, Sonny Burk, becoming a cart racing champion. Realizing one of his regular medications was a type of steroid, Justin used it to his advantage and became a powerlifter, reaching a weight of 255 pounds. Empowered by his success, Justin became a mentor to children with Crohn’s in hopes of inspiring them to live a healthy life. Motivated by the care and encouragement he received from the incredible nursing staff at Michigan Medicine, Justin found his way to the nursing program at Delta College.
“One of the nurses over there was so impressed with him that she wrote a letter on Michigan letterhead recommending him to wherever he went, that he’d be a valuable asset to whoever hired him,” shared Sonny.
Justin was diagnosed with stage three colon cancer in September 2018 and passed unexpectedly on March 13, 2019. Delta College awarded Justin an honorary nursing degree the following month. And in 2023, a “star” at the Delta College Planetarium was purchased in Justin’s memory, making him a permanent fixture at Delta College.
Be A Star at the Delta College Planetarium
You or a loved one can have their name engraved on one of the stars located in any of the constellations on the planetarium lobby floor.
For pricing and further details on how to get your name in the stars, contact Becky Barber at 989-686-9226 or rsbarber@delta.edu.
