Many San Marcans remember Dick Burdick as an entrepreneur and collector of classic cars. Now, his memory will live on in the form of a nonprofit foundation focused on character-based education.

The board of directors of Dick's Classic Car Garage, a museum housing Burdick's car collection, announced on Tuesday that the museum will close and become a private, nonprofit grant-making foundation. The Richard L. Burdick Foundation will have the mission of providing financial assistance to charities and individual scholarships to promote values-based leadership through character-based educational programs.

“It was my husband’s most sincere wish to create and maintain a private non-profit foundation that would be both beneficial and impactful in our local community, across the country and around the globe,” said Johnnie Burdick. “We intend to honor his vision by using the proceeds from the sale of the Museum’s assets to further the Foundation’s charitable intent.”

The museum will remain open, operating during its usual business hours, through the end of the year. On Dec. 31, the garage will begin its transition and close to the public. The inventory – including classic cars and memorabilia – will be listed for sale, as will the building itself, located at 120 Stagecoach Trail.

Dick Burdick died on Feb. 25 of this year, surrounded by family and friends. Among his achievements was the creation of a chemical compound that led to the founding of Thermon Manufacturing. The San Marcos-based company now has offices around the world. The Greater San Marcos Partnership created the Dick Burdick Award for Innovation and gave the inaugural award to Burdick himself. He was also known for his community service, such as his support of the Boy Scouts and his membership in the Rotary Club.

“Please come help us celebrate the life and legacy of Mr. Burdick and see his amazing collection. We are going to be spending the rest of the year commemorating and sharing the stories of these incredible cars,” said Thom Fortney, curator at Dick's Classic Garage.

Six of the most innovative automobiles from the post-war era will be featured in an exhibition 2 at the McNay Art Museum in San Antonio in the spring of 2019. American Dreams: Classic Cars and Postwar Paintings will open at the McNay on February 14, 2019 and run through May 14, 2019. Details will be available soon at www.mcnayart.org.

For information on the sale of the cars, contact Meghan McGrail at meghan@rmsothebys.com, and for information regarding the sale of the Museum property, please contact Carter Morris at carter@randallmorris.com.