Cheryl Burke Honors Len Goodman's Posthumous 79th Birthday With Sweet Tribute

Cheryl Burke honored Len Goodman on what would have been his 79th birthday.

The television personality, whose life has remained imbalanced since an agent confirmed that Goodman had died, celebrated his birthday with a sweet social media post. The "Holiday of My Lifetime" alum passed on Saturday, April 22, at a hospice in Tunbridge Wells after a short stint with bone cancer.

Even though she has yet to accept Goodman's death, Burke ensured she paid tribute to him when his birthday rolled around on April 25. Taking to her Instagram Story, the model uploaded an up-close photo of the late ballroom dancer donning a smile, a black suit, a pink undershirt, and a blue and pink tie. Across the image, she wrote: 

"Happy Birthday Mr. Len Goodman! I know you're dancing up in heaven, with the stars & angels right now. Sending you love & light my dear."

The "Dancing with the Stars" alum continued the tribute by sharing a video, stating that her heart was "still super heavy" from the sad development. "My heart just goes out to his family, and this is just a reminder to me and anyone who wants to hear it; I guess that life is really short," she continued. After noting that "life is precious," the "Dance Moms" star added: 

"Sometimes the daily stresses of life or these thoughts in our head can get magnified by a lot, and it's important to just breathe once in a while."

She then reminded viewers that "the little things sometimes don't matter" before ending the clip with a declaration of love for her fans. Burke's mood in the footage appeared better than when she mourned the loss of the "Strictly Come Dancing" head judge on Instagram a few days ago. Posting a slew of throwback photos that featured the ballroom dance school founder, the 38-year-old penned in the caption:

"There are not enough words to describe how much Mr. Len Goodman made such an impact in my life. From when I was a teenager when he used to judge me in all of the European dance competitions I took part in all the way up until the day we hugged each other when we both retired on @dancingwiththestars this past season."

After reaffirming that she considered him her favorite "DWTS" judge, Burke acknowledged that he was part of the reason the dance competition series "was a hit show" thanks to his "tough love, his "no BS approach," his "beliefs within the technique of Ballroom," and deep care "about the sport and how it was represented."

"Thank you for changing my life and bringing joy to millions of people who have been watching us throughout the years," the "I Can Do That" star concluded.

The world had been more than kind to Burke when she announced her final dance in the "DWTS" ballroom last November, The Blast noted. The outpour came when the "Hell's Kitchen" VIP guest shared a singular shot that showed her in an unforgettable red ball gown on Instagram. The PrimeTime Emmy Award winner, who appeared to be caught in a mid-dance pose, wrote beneath the snap:

"I am sitting here full of so many conflicting emotions about the words I am about to write… Tomorrow night will officially be my final dance as a pro dancer on @dancingwiththestars. This has been one of the absolute hardest decisions of my life & I am also confident that it is the right one."

She then admitted that the series had given her a tribe she saw as her second family since she joined at 21. Expressing her confidence that her exit from the ABC show would allow her to begin the "next phase" of her career, Burke continued:

"I am excited about the idea of evolving, about being challenged in new ways, having the ability to expand my commitment to mental health advocacy, focusing on my new found love for podcasting, & I'm ready to face the uncertainty (though it's scary as sh**) of what the future holds - I do have a few things up my sleeves though, so don't worry."

She conclusively declared that her last dance on the long-running series was dedicated to her fans, who loved her even without knowing her personally. Those fans emphasized their appreciation for her in the comment section, with many claiming that she was "irreplaceable."