Lonnie Burrell’s dedication to his work at the lumber shop in the Riverview Retirement community is really impressive. He found a way to stay active and engaged even after retiring from his previous career.
Lonnie Burrell, an 82-year-old grandfather, has a touching hobby: he takes scraps of old wood and carves them into tiny heart-shaped keepsakes. Every encounter he has is an opportunity to share warmth and affection.
As Lonnie himself says, “I hope people feel valued and loved through my work.”
For the last twenty years, Lonnie has crafted these small wooden hearts from thousands of pieces of wood.
He shares that this passion began quite unexpectedly.
“I was in my basement and saw a beautiful piece of wood,” Lonnie recalled. “I decided to carve it into a heart for my wife. She loved it so much that I kept making more and more.” Loney said.
This year alone, Lonnie has crafted around 1,500 hearts.
He meticulously draws each design, cuts it out, and sands it with three different grades of sandpaper to ensure a smooth finish.
It takes about 20 minutes for Lonnie to craft each wooden heart.
Having always been passionate about carpentry, Lonnie now dedicates himself fully to this craft. As a child growing up on a farm in Oregon, he used his skills to make popcorn bowls and truck racks for transporting livestock to exhibitions.
Today, Lonnie channels his talents into making a positive impact on the lives of others.
“I work hard to ensure everyone gets a heart,” Lonnie explained. “Whether I’m interacting with a maid, a shop clerk, or young children, I make it a point to check in with their families and see if they could use a small heart.”
Lonnie always carries a pocketful of hearts wherever he goes.
Recently, Lonnie gave a special heart, marked with a knot, to a woman he met in line at Costco.
“I handed it to her, and she started crying,” Lonnie said. “She told me, ‘I have a hole in my heart since my son passed away last year.’”
Around ten years ago, Lonnie began donating his wooden hearts to various local schools.
When a student is struggling, counselors at local schools will take from Lonnie’s collection of hearts and let the student pick one.
The hearts are crafted from various types of wood.
“One day, an upset boy visited the school counselor’s office. The counselor gave him a heart, and the boy noticed that the grain of the wood resembled a figure with outstretched hands. He said, ‘This heart came with my angel.’”
Moments like these keep Lonnie motivated. He ensures that each heart he makes is crafted with care and precision through sanding, chopping, and sanding again.
So everyone ends up with a small, pocket-sized reminder of how loved they are.
“It’s worth the effort. I feel compelled to continue because so many people have broken hearts. It’s not about me; it’s about the heart,” Lonnie said.
