Marilyn Burke

Our beloved mother, grandmother and great grandmother, Marilyn M. Burke received her angel wings and departed from home as she wished on May 5, 2021. Marilyn was born February 20, 1931 to J. Warren and Ruth Miller in Mt. Pleasant, PA. Along with her three brothers, she spent her childhood in Vandergrift, PA., graduating high school there. Through her participation in Girl Scouts, she met our Dad, Brian, as his mother Emily was a Girl Scout leader and Dad was a lifeguard at Girl Scout camp! Dad went to college at Indiana State and Mother went to business school which led her to working at The Pentagon as a stenographer. Mother and Dad married on October 21, 1950. Early married life was at Ft. Jackson, South Carolina with Dad's Army service.

Next career chapters took them to reside in Apollo, PA and Mother worked in the business field and Dad began working for US Steel in Pittsburgh. Once they were blessed with the births of three daughters, mother's gifts of parental nurturing were strong with love, guidance, delicious homecooked meals, handsewn clothes and time to take us to church, scouts, music, and school activities. Our parents instilled many great values in us through living by example and guided by John Wesley's Methodist principle: "Do all the good you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, as long as ever you can." Dad's job moved the family to Haddonfield, NJ., Sharpsville, PA. and Livonia, MI where they continued to make lifelong neighbors, friends and memories.

Besides great cooking and wonderful baking, including exceptional pies, Mother kept an immaculate and organized home. Mother truly loved gardening, birding, reading, traveling, and antiques. Vacations were spent family camping, visiting relatives and historic sites and museums, enriching our lives. Mother and Dad eventually got to enjoy travel to their dream places, including Ireland.

After Dad passed in 2012, Mother continued to remain active in YMCA classes, her beloved water exercise class, and tackled learning computer skills and using her IPAD, that ultimately was a great joy for her to be able to stay in touch with friends and family! Her calendar was always full with activities through her DAR and PED memberships, Stonybrook United Methodist local and distant mission projects and programs and trips through the senior center. At the very top of the "To Do" daily list, though, would be her true love in staying in touch with family, friends and current or past neighbors with calls or beautifully written notes and cards. She certainly was a champion with yearly Christmas cards and notes, even in recent years with physical hand challenges she still persevered.

Those left to cherish precious memories of an exemplary life well lived are her three daughters, Laurie (John) Naglee of Gainesville, FL; Valerie (Ed) Dowell of Westerville, OH; and Andrea (Gregg) Burke-Harris of Buffalo, NY; eight grandchildren: Erik (Devon), Chris (Colleen), Neil and Stefan (Jazz) Naglee; Brian (Nataf) Dowell, Kristin (Jeff) Beekman-Dowell; Gwnyeth and Gavin Harris; ten great grandchildren: Owen, Carson, Dawson, Hudson, Cooper, Carrie, and Noah Naglee; Eden and Jordan Dowell and Wyatt Beekman-Dowell; sister-in-law Shiela Sloan of Columbus, OH and brother Maynard Miller of Cabot, PA and a multitude of wonderful friends!

Our family is so appreciative of the care Dr. Douglas Fosselman and the staff provided to both of our parents for many years! National Church Residences Hospice and Options Home Care staff were both devoted in providing loving care at home that enabled Mother to stay where she wished throughout these last several months. Sadly, Covid-19 did provide its challenges, but both these organizations worked diligently thru them.

A Celebration of Life service will be planned for a later date. Arrangements are through SCHOEDINGER NORTHEAST in Gahanna, OH and we ask you kindly to share photos or special memories there in honor of Marilyn through their site, www.schoedinger.com

Memorial gifts may be made to:

The P.E.O Program for continuing education through the donor portal at

Https://donations.peointernational.org. When making online donations please use chapter designation FA/OH.

OR

Stonybrook United Methodist Church, missions fund,

485 Cherry Bottom Rd, PO Box 30733, Gahanna OH, 43230

Mother, we miss you immensely, but are at peace knowing you are reunited with Dad and free of pain. Your legacy of love and service will live on as we aspire to measure up, promising as always to do our best!