Megan Mae Jordan

It is with full hearts that the family of Megan Jordan announce her peaceful passing on July 29, 2017 in Portland, Oregon. She is survived by her six children: Sherry Sprungman (John), Kristy Kelly (Kevin), Richard Burfeind, Martin Burfeind (Kim), Stacy Lange (Wade), and Daniel Burfeind (Diane). She was “Grandma Nan” to 14 grand and step-grandchildren, and 22 great grandchildren (with at least one more on the way). She is also survived by her childhood friend, Bette Walton (Jim) of Huntington Beach; lifelong pal, Beverly Cassidy of Sebastopol; Mercedes Coronet of Barcelona; Cean d’Amore (Robert) of Talent; and the Good Old Girls (GOGS) of Marin County - among many other friends.

Megan was born February 7, 1926 in Chicago, where she lived until 1944 when she met Dick Burfeind, a dashing naval officer. She followed him to Pensacola, Florida and then married him in New York City in 1945. They moved to the Bay Area in 1946 and soon bought property in the Emerald Lake area of Redwood City, where they raised their six children. Many summers included crazy cross-country camping trips in the family’s VW bus, piloted by Megan. She and Dick were world travelers, and she never hesitated to get on an airplane to new adventures.

When her youngest children had grown to school age, Megan returned to school and earned Bachelor and Masters degrees from San Jose State University and a Masters of Social Work from UC Berkeley. She taught psychology at Cañada College and the College of San Mateo, and received further clinical training at the V.A. in Palo Alto. Megan and Dick divorced in 1973 and Megan pursued further graduate studies. She was deeply influenced by the work of family therapy pioneer, Virginia Satir. She and Satir became friends and Megan traveled the world researching cross-cultural applications of Satir’s techniques for her doctoral dissertation, serving two years with the Peace Corps in Kingston, Jamaica in the process. She earned her PhD in psychology from United States International University and went on to teach family therapy in England, Ireland, New Zealand and the United States. For the past twenty years Megan lived in Marin County, volunteering as a docent at Angel Island. An avid supporter of local theater, art and music, she volunteered as a way of connecting to the creative community. She proudly served on the "Mayor's Blue Ribbon Select Garbage Committee" for the Sausalito Arts Festival, for example, and was still collecting tickets for Novato Theater Company in her 89th year.

Megan was known for being just a little bit flashier, a fair bit wittier and a whole bunch more fun to be with than most other people. She loved a party and the telling of a good story. She cherished and nurtured friendships and her large and loving family. In the 1960's she passed on her love of live jazz music to her kids by bringing them with her to the Monterey Jazz Festival and other live venues. Because everyone should have a mom like this, and in honor of her lifelong love of jazz, the family requests that contributions in lieu of flowers be directed to jazz education at montereyjazzfestival.org

The family will hold a memorial at a later date. Her shining sassy spirit lives on in us all.

Arrangements under the direction of Bateman Carroll Funeral Home, Gresham, OR.