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To most, Shawn Burr will be remembered as a hard-working two-way forward and fan favorite with the Detroit Red Wings.

Here, where Burr resided since 2000, he was a charitable man who was a big presence in the community and used his standing and affable personality to help others.

“He told me that his legacy would be, ‘I was an average or a little better than average skater — definitely not a Hall of Famer,’” said Dave Goetze of Clyde, a close personal friend of Burr’s and the vice president and business manager of the Shawn Burr Foundation. “He said, ‘My legacy is giving back.’

“He said his greatest successes were his daughter Madison, his daughter Maison and his wife Amanda. And giving back.”

Burr, a Sarnia native who had been battling leukemia since early 2011, died Monday after falling in his St. Clair home and suffering head trauma. He was 47. He played 16 seasons in the NHL, accumulating 181 goals and 259 assists in 878 career games. His first 11 seasons in the NHL were spent with the Red Wings.

He certainly gave plenty to the area, as his foundation helped raise more than $1.5 million for local charities, Goetze said. Its original aim, after being set up on Burr’s 34th birthday — July 1, 2000 — was to benefit local youth-based charities. Since he was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia, the foundation’s focus shifted to supporting blood cancer research.

Whenever Burr arrived in the Red Wings dressing room, he drew a crowd, be it fellow players or reporters. He was always in good humour and never stopped talking. His teammates loved his jokes and reporters loved his one-liners about hockey.

“He always had that quick wit,” Yzerman said. “Something funny was always the first thing out of his mouth. He was an upbeat guy with a smile on his face.”

Terry Crisp, who was Burr’s coach during his first of two tours with the Lightning, told the Tampa Bay Times he was the best trash-talker he ever heard.

“I used to stand behind Shawn Burr on the bench with a pen and paper in my hand and write down the barbs he'd throw at the other players,” Crisp said. “He had to be one of the best trash-talkers I have ever, ever encountered in my career, and I heard some good ones, believe me.”

Burr, who was a native of Sarnia, Ont., made himself valuable to his teams with his checking and hitting, powered by a relentless work ethic. And he finished his 16 NHL seasons in 2000 with a respectable 440 points in 878 regular-season games.

After his NHL career was over, Burr moved back to the Detroit area where he worked for a brokerage firm. He also became active with the Red Wings alumni team and he raised more than $1.5-million (U.S.) for charities in the St. Clair area through his foundation.

"He was a funny guy, a nonstop talker, always had a trick to play," former teammate Chris Osgood told The Free Press. "My first game as a rookie, he put my name upside down on my jersey. He was the guy in the ’90s who kept everybody else relaxed. He did the dirty work for the team on the ice and then kept the guys relaxed in the dressing room."

Burr leaves his wife Amanda and daughters Madison and Maison.

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